Knee Deep
by idlehandsdevilswork
Summary: Lucia Sometimes doesn't care much for romance. But when she is pulled into the world of post-war wizarding aristocracy by none other than Draco Malfoy will her views change? And what of a family she never knew about, one that was left alone long ago?
1. A Funeral

Lucia Sometimes hated funerals, as was it apparent as she stared distastefully at her aunt's corpse in the satin coffin. The rickety old face fixed in a manic smile that, she was sure, never had graced those hard features.

After hearing thousands of laments to the dead witch, Lucia was sure she would cry in despair. This woman's life was not worth so many words, especially such flattering phrases like "beacon of light," and "joy of the family." Quite on the contraire, whenever Aunt Peony stepped into the room the lights dimmed substantially and all joy was sucked into a void of nothingness. Aunty Peony was, and always will be, the most feared name in the Sometimes family tree. Lucia was quite sure everyone was nearly happy she was dead, even her dear husband who had remarried nearly the second she snuffed it.

They weren't happily married anyway. As it was arranged when they were too young to distinguish genders and probably wouldn't care if they were to marry a hippogriff.

Lucia was very aware of the dry eyes around her, the creeping of fingers and the tapping of wands against wood. The silent prayer was very loud in her ears. It rang out "Oh please let the old hag leave us in peace."

But dear old Peony wouldn't do that now would she?

"And now for the Last Will and Testament of Peony Burberry Sometimes," the creeping fingers halted, along with the tapping. Those dry eyes were now fixed on Peony's lawyer. "It seems she would like a choice few to see it only. When I call your name, if you please step into the penseive that would be wonderful. Jordina Burberry, Sigmund Sometimes, Ferdinand Sometimes, Kelly Fetching and Lucia Sometimes."

Jordina Burberry was Peony's little sister, a (if even possible) harsher Peony, with wiry hair pulled into a tight bun at the nape of her neck.

Sigmund Sometimes was her darling husband, who had aged quite well in contrast to his mangled dead wife.

Her son was the infamous Ferdinand, who was a playboy in his own right. But mostly a woofter with nothing to do but finger his arse. Peony was always quite bitter towards him but it was presumably a maternal trait.

Kelly Fetching who, true to her name, was quite a fetching woman was actually a friend of Peony's. She was sweet looking and had laugh lines running across her face like milestones to all the fun she must have had when she was young.

Lucia was the odd one. Peony did not like Lucia and Lucia was to awash in Peony's ugly personality to even bother to notice her aunt's particularly harsh pinches on the cheek and crude remarks. She hated the girl since the day she was born, because Lucia was born into a rich, spoiled house with padded corners and sugary bedtime stories. Her brown hair always brushed by someone else. Glossy eyed and stupid under her mother's arm, she was the image of everything Peony hated.

If all the people at the funeral were in a theatre, there would have been a gasp at that very moment, followed by a deep silence. But it was only quiet.

Lucia dunked her head into the penseive along with her uncle, cousin, aunt and acquaintance, inwardly dreading what waited on the other side.

The wisps of Peony's life threaded around them, hugging at their black robes and tugging at their sleeves until finally the spinning stopped and reality regained its toll.

The room they were in was a deep blue. It looked like an office of a particularly rich man, probably her lawyer. There were books strewn across a desk of Mahogany and old chairs with satin coverings. Behind the desk sat a duplicate of Peony's lawyer that stood beside Ferdinand, who looked quite sloshed and dull eyed. Peony was sitting in all her grandeur in front of the desk. Her grey hair wispy and her face flushed.

"You may begin now." Said the duplicate lawyer.

"I assumed just as much George." Peony replied tartly, lifting her nose up so high it probably interrupted broom traffic. "Jordina, my dear sister. Where would I be without you." Her mouth twitched with a dispassionate smile.

Jordina let out a cry of sadness and rushed to her sister's side.

"I would like to give you my collection of Lockhart's Published works. I'm sure you will treasure them as I have." Her sister was quite happy with this gift and fled into the arms of her nephew.

"Now Sigmund, I do not doubt that you have married that whore Heather since my death, and so you get nothing." She smiled in delight and smugly smirked in what seemed to be my direction.

"Kel-kel, my affectionate friend. You have stayed by my side throughout these trying years. Because of this I give you all my jewels and this pensieve so you will remember us always." Now this, Lucia had to admit, was a thoughtful gift, though somewhat disconcerting.

"Ferdinand and Lucia, the two dreadful young creatures who dare to continue the Sometimes family name. I give you a challenge. Whoever finds out who their true father is get's my fortune." It wasn't at all unexpected she would do something like this; if there was anyone Peony hated more than Lucia it would be her own promiscuous son. But admitting that she had an affair and lied about the father of her own son was beyond her own disgusting level of low.

"I realize this won't be an easy task. How ridiculous would it be if it was? Lucia's mother is an ugly whore who had an uglier daughter on the inside an out," Smirked Peony.

"And the pot calls the cauldron black." Lucia mutter, pulling at her curly hair.

"And I have covered my tracks quite well. But I know who both of your fathers are. Only if you are right will you win." It was all a game to Peony, even in death. Pulling what little joy and security out of our lives and replacing it with distrust and chaos.

"I hope you are pleased with your gifts." A smile crept onto her broken features. "And I hope to see you soon."

The memory ended and the group was sent sprawling out onto the wooden floor. The church was now empty, as everyone had left for their cheerful homes.

"Damn it all!" Cried Ferdinand in despair, pulling at his silken sheen of black hair. "That bitch just wants her money to rot away in Gringotts."

"Who says one of them won't find out?" Asked the ever loving Kelly.

"The laws of nature" Lucia replied begrudging. "Besides, Peony was right, my mother has slept with too many men. I could never narrow it down." She looked at her cousin who was scooting away from his father.

"No, I suppose not." Ferdinand spoke.

"I hope her soul is being patronized by Voldemort right now." Sigmund said with a dark delight.

"It's more likely that she's patronizing him." Lucia snapped. It was of course the truth.

Jordina had yet to speak since the exiting of the pensieve but the words that left her mouth spoke volumes. "You're scummy blood will never contaminate the Burberry fortune. You little chits have more coming to you than you can ever imagine. Go piss-up in your own bloody house and leave ours alone." She yelled, running out of the church.

Lucia took this as her cue to depart and hugged her uncle and waved off the rest. After exiting the church her eyes began to droop and she was lulled into this peaceful pace towards her home in the foothills of Scotland.

It wasn't as if Lucia couldn't travel there by any other means, but she always preferred to walk, if only to understand what she had just witnessed.

She did not want to discover her father, too her she was fatherless. It wasn't as if she didn't have it drilled into her since she was a kid that children came from a man and a woman but she never really understood where than man was needed. She simply believed that the mushy romance part of a relationship was not for her. This ultimate betrayal of body to mind was so frightening she simply did not want to be flourished by the ravenous attentions of the masculine portion of humanity.

She was above that. She wanted the ultimate alliance between two understanding individuals, and unfortunately, this ravishing of her body was often viewed as part of the alliance. Her husband was to be a wanker no matter what the situation. She would not tolerate infidelity.

Now her outlook on the male sex was often quite skewed. Pulling ideas from feminist outlooks and her own stubbornness before halting and realizing something. What of a man's touch? Is it really so uninvited? Only to come to the conclusions that yes, yes it was.

What of the glory of a woman? Of the rash caution that only someone with a vagina can summon with such intensity that it would even be described as harsh. Women are the internal figures. In myth they are the power behind it all, they nurture the hero and help them grow. They are the awakening and sometimes the death. But they are not the hero. A female hero is an entity in and of itself.

When Lucia arrived home, she was greeted by her own mother's warm embrace. It wasn't uncommon that Genevieve Sometimes spoiled her solemn daughter with compliments and gifts and it wasn't entirely unwelcome. Lucia did not mind the attention but rather basked in it. Welcoming this strange affection, that was instigated by her birth, as nothing more than a natural occurrence of the mother to the daughter.

The Sometimes family was rich in everything from money to love. It wasn't an unhappy household but rather a liberated one, since no man had ever entered it for very long. It was one of the only strong pureblood houses that managed to escape Voldemort's grip during the second war. It retained all of its dignity despite Genevieve's promiscuity and was quite reproachful on the topic of choosing any sides.

Lucia went to Hogwarts during the war. Only in her sixth year when it ended and quite frightened when the final battle occurred. She thought back to it often, reminiscing about her hiding place in the passageway between Hogwarts and Honeydukes. It was less that she was afraid and more that she felt like she was simply getting in the way.

She was only ever good at transfiguration and charms. Never did she have the courage to do anything with Defense Against the Dark Arts and was quite stupid when it came to potions. She was a Ravenclaw but was useless when it came to practical use of whatever she learned.

She would start her last year at Hogwarts in days and was quite awash in hopes that it would become what it was before Dumbledore passed, but that was unlikely. She was packed and ready when her mother received a peculiar letter from what was later described as an 'old family friend' and called Lucia down.

"Lucia, it seems we have come to be in the good graces of the Malfoy family again!" She smiled in delight. Completely enraptured in the sudden interest of some of London's finest wizards.

"I'm sure they secretly think we're the scourge of the dirge. They just pretend to care about our well being and safety." Lucia smirked, grabbing an apple from the counter and taking a bite before sitting nonchalantly on the bar stool.

"Just as I am sure that this means something wonderful for our family." After receiving a blank stare from her daughter Genevieve continued. "It means we are viewed as equally powerful! Isn't that wonderful."

Lucia was obviously not dashed in delight at the thought of power. It was in fact very low on her list of things she wished to accomplish before she left the world. Right above become pregnant and falling in love.

The Malfoys weren't exactly on her list of good people either. They were traitors to humanity and all things she viewed as good and pure in the world. They destroyed without a thought towards the consequences of their actions. She was disgusted by Draco and his father. They were the muck that seeped through all cracks no matter how many sealants are used to block them out.

"Anyways, they have invited us to tea before sending you two off to your last year at Hogwarts. Oh isn't this wonderful." Swooned Genevieve, pulling gossamer strands of hair out of her tender face. "we shall have to attend then, won't we?" It was less of a request and more a demand. Lucia had no way of getting out of this particular tea.

"Mum, I'm quite aware of their stature but Draco graduated, he's a year older." Lucia corrected her mother.

"No no my dear, his education was delayed because of the… war." Her voice faltered at the mention of that faithful year.

"It's not a dirty word mum, we all know that it happened and who was involved." Lucia was nearly finished with the apple and aimed to be done with the conversation by the time she had devoured it. "Besides, it's only their fault they chose to indulge in the losing side of the war. Should we be lessened because of that?" She finished the apple and left the room.

"Be sure to wear something appropriate to tea, it's in only two days." Her mother yelled after her.

Lucia sighed; she did not feel like being entertained by a family of scum. Nor did she enjoy the extravagant lifestyle of the family and the ridiculous decorations that plagued the estate. White peacocks were rare to begin with, but now the majority of their population is on the Malfoy estate.

Even less did she feel like enjoying Draco's company, who, in her opinion, was the lowest form of man and had yet to prove her wrong in her previous views of him. He was pompous and lofty in his view of himself and his family. Definitely not a man she intended to seek out for conversation since he had a very limited vocabulary and probably an even more limited range of opinions. She had presumed that his traits had stayed the same since the end of the war and that he had yet to improve on his previous status as a slag.

That night Lucia went to sleep with very much to think about. It never occurred to her that that day's two main occurrences probably had more to do with her than she ever imagined. But then again her imagination could never understand the plotting of a father keen to regain the wealth and respect of his family's name through the beneficial marriage of his son.

She was quite unaware of the grey eyed charmer having her likes and dislikes drilled into him like so many test questions in the past. Or the subtle smirk plastered across pale features as he imagined the power this combination would entail. Lucia was about to fall knee's deep into a puddle of mucky, smutty love, and she didn't even realize how much she had wanted that feeling. And how wonderful arms could feel around you when they don't want to let go.


	2. Reaching Walls

"Honestly Lucia, I can't understand why, out of all your dresses, you chose this one." Genevieve huffed.

"I don't suppose you want me looking like a slag when I visit, do you?" Lucia snapped.

"Well no but-"she was cut off.

"Then my wardrobe is obsolete."

Lucia was dressed in a drab brown dress that made her hair look especially lack-luster and thick. Her skin looked extremely pale and her eyes seemed sunken in. These aspects caused a most drawn appearance which is what Lucia was aiming for. She wanted the Malfoy's to find every fault in her.

"You look hideous."

"I'd rather look hideous than resemble a 20 pence whore." Lucia was starting get particularly irritated by her mothers fussing. "It's not like they really matter anyway."

"Oh but they do matter, they matter so much." Genevieve was practically ripping apart Lucia's closet, looking for the perfect dress. "Isn't this one acceptable." She held up a frothy blue dress.

"That's a dress from your brother Sigmund's wedding. A bridesmaids dress no less. I am most certainly not going to wear that blue cotton ball from hell."

Genevieve laughed "No, I suppose not." She started rifling again, finally finding a demure but attractive dress.

It looked like it was pulled straight out of the fifties, made of green silk with a high, straight neckline. The bodice was fitted but not revealing, puckering at the waist until it blossomed into a gently pleated skirt.

"Mother, isn't this just a little formal." Lucia was almost disappointed at how pretty it was.

"Nonsense, nothing is too formal for the Malfoy's." Genevieve plucked a pair of red flats from the shoe rack and shoved both items into Lucia's arms. "Now change and I will do your makeup."

"Honestly, I sometimes forget who the child is." Lucia muttered before closing her bedroom door.

It fit perfectly like all her clothes were charmed to. The red heels looked dauntingly playful and she no longer looked so pale and dull.

"I'm dressed mother." Lucia called down the hall, hoping she wouldn't hear. It was after all a very large house. But no such luck.

Genevieve came prancing down the hall in her pink dress and blue heels with a bag that presumably held all the makeup it could.

"You always looked so lovely in green; it brings out the red in your hair you know." Genevieve forced Lucia to sit down in front of her vanity. She pulled the contents of the bag out, one at a time, like precious jewels.

After a painful hour of plastering on makeup, Lucia finally convinced her mother that less is most definitely more, and thus she only had on a small amount of eye shadow and eyeliner.

"You look lovely." Genevieve held onto her daughter shoulders and leaned forward towards the mirror.

"I look like a 300 pound whore." Lucia received a slap on the arm.

"We're leaving in five minutes so gather your wits and be charming." Genevieve was obviously quite on end about this visit. To be honest so was Lucia.

She was not looking forward to a visit with the family that so willingly gave up their dignity for some inflated pure-blood bias. Not to mention the fact that Lucius gave her more than just the creeps.

Lucia headed down the stairs to the fireplace where they would apparate to the Malfoy Manor. The hallway was extremely long and when she reached the staircase five minutes had long passed. When she reached the sitting room where the large fireplace was held it had been nearly ten and her mother was pacing like a cat.

"We are unacceptably late already. Do you insist on ruining my chances?" Genevieve wailed, pulling her daughter into the fireplace.

"Your chances at what mother? Fucking Lucius? God damnit, why can't you keep your knickers on?" Lucia yelled, finally reaching her short tempers end.

"Do not speak to me like that. I am your mother!" Genevieve was near slapping Lucia.

"Then act like it." Lucia said calmly, before grabbing floo powder and throwing it into the fire before yelling "Malfoy Manor!"

Lucia hated flooing, it always made her feel dizzy and confused. Making matters worse there was a flurry of house elves and people around her, Blonde, beautiful people with nice clothes.

Her mother was only a moment behind her. The angry expression wiped clean off her flawless face.

"Hello Narcissa darling, how I've missed you." Genevieve swooned. "Draco, haven't you gotten older, what a handsome man." She then turned to Lucius and gave a lustrous smile "And Lucius of course. How are you?" She held out a heavily manicured hand and thrust her chest forward.

He kissed her fingertips in a suave manner that is reminiscent of James Bond. "Charmed I'm sure."

Lucia had finally recovered from the traveling and she looked up from her red flats to face the family that would host her final day away from Hogwarts.

"This must be your lovely daughter Lucia." Narcissa grabbed onto Lucia's hand and pulled it into both of hers. "I must say she is quite the image of her mother."

"Not that I have a father to be compared to." Lucia snapped.

"Well, little Lucia grew up this summer. I barely recognize you when you're not hiding in a corner." Lucius grabbed her chin and shook it like an aunt would. But not aunt peony of course.

"I barely recognized you without your mask." Lucia muttered.

"Draco, honey, could you please escort Lucia to the sitting room." Narcissa gestured towards Lucia, giving her husband a sharp glare.

Draco grasped Lucia's arm a little harsher than needed, but led her with enough respect that it satisfied Lucia for the moment.

"So, how has your summer been?" Draco asked awkwardly.

"Cut the crap Malfoy. You're not polite. Stop acting like it." Lucia laughed pityingly.

"Fine I will Sometimes, just fine." He shoved her into the sitting room and followed behind her, slamming the door. "My father wants me to charm you into marrying me."

"My mother wants to fuck your father."

"It would seem that we are at ends then."

"It would seem so."

"What shall we do then?"

"I would prefer nothing."

"As would I."

Silence echoed in the room. The tea was stagnant on the table, untouched by the two stubborn teenagers. They looked straight into each others eyes, almost challenging the other to look away. Suddenly their parents burst in, bubbling with conversation and delight.

"Why Lucia please get comfortable. Sit down, here love." Narcissa pushed her towards a silver plush chair.

"I'm quite comfortable standing thank you." Lucia was on the defense now. She felt attacked on all sides and she would not submit.

"What nonsense. Do sit darling." Genevieve pulled her daughter into the couch next to Draco.

"It's such a pleasure to have such a beautiful woman like you for company Miss. Sometimes." Draco's words curled over Lucia like snakes. His vile mouth shaped them with such ease it was disgustingly beautiful.

Everything about him had this horribly gorgeous aura. Like rusted chandeliers or a broken wine glass. He made Lucia secretly swoon in delight, but she would never admit that, not even to herself.

"You forget there are two Miss. Sometimes in this room." Genevieve flirted from a loveseat across from Draco. "Though I am certain you were referring to Lucia, since I am no beauty."

Lucius who was quiet up until this moment let out a cough and said "Why Genevieve, I must disagree. You are quite the beauty in my eyes."

Lucia almost gagged. She had hoped her earlier outburst would discourage such flightless behavior but there was no effect.

Narcissa simply sipped her tea and smiled at Lucia and Draco.

They spoke of economics and politics, both of which Lucia found quite interesting and Draco found boring as hell.

While Lucia listened intently to her mother discussing the magical economic crisis in America and how it was affecting Britain, Draco took quite an interest in Lucia's leg.

At first it was only a casual brush resulting in a light shove, but soon grabbing ensued and silence fell upon the room after Draco received a resounding slap.

"I'm sorry I'm not a broom Draco, but if you wish for something to grab onto you may look no further than your own lap!" Lucia stomped out of the room leaving a stunned mother behind her.

"I-I must apologize… for my daughter's behavior." Genevieve stuttered. "I never taught her how to behave around men."

"Draco, follow her before she gets lost." Lucius spat from the silver armchair.

"Yes father." He replied obediently before exiting the room.

Lucia was indeed lost. It didn't take much since the entire house had to be about the size of Hogwarts. She was enraptured in a particularly strange staircase that whenever she took a step it brought her back to the bottom when Draco found her.

"That leads to fathers study, you best not go there."

"You best not tell me what to do." She spit on his shoes and walked away from the staircase down a hall that had moving walls.

The walls were quite curious; they looked like fabric that was taught around human bodies. They reached out for her and their mouths arched open as if they were calling.

Draco grabbed her arm before she could get more than two feet down the hall.

"And that leads to an even worse place." The seriousness in his tone was frightening. His grey eyes were glossy as if stuck in a memory and his grip on her arm was hard. Lucia was not going to disobey. She walked back towards the stairs and stopped.

"Where should I go then." Lucia turned back to him. "Where am I safe?"

"In this house: nowhere." That was not the answer she wanted to hear, and from what she knew of Draco it was the truth.

"Take me back then, back to my mother." Lucia was done fighting, but she had yet to concede to their plans.

"As you wish."

"Don't be romantic, just take me back."

They entered the tea room where everyone was sitting, frozen, like dolls.

"Mother, I'm afraid I forgot to pack everything. I need to go home." Lucia lied. She had in fact packed much more than she needed.

"Of course love, if you would excuse us. We will meet you at the station tomorrow at nine." Genevieve smiled.

Lucia and her mother were escorted to the fireplace, where they left with bitter goodbyes.

"I suppose I'll see you tomorrow Draco." Lucia grumbled.

"The pleasure is mine." He kissed her hand.

"It most certainly is."

When they arrived at home Lucia went to her room with little to no interaction with her mother. This whole day would be forgotten until that sod of reminder plundered his way into her life tomorrow.

For now, she would enjoy her bed and books. She loved those two things most of all.

At the Malfoy household there was a very different situation at hand.

"How dare you touch her?" Lucius yelled at his son.

"I thought she would like it! I had no idea she is such a prude!" He replied, just as angry.

"You let her disrespect you like that. She is a _woman_!"

"I know!" Draco sat down on his bed, his head in his hands. "But damn she's a hot one."

"It doesn't matter if she's hot. She is our key to survive in the wizarding world." Narcissa finally spoke, kneeling in front of her son.

"You just blew our chances. You're such a worthless boy."

"I can fix this! I can! By the end of the year she will be begging for our family name." Draco yelled, finally getting his own place in this discussion.

"I don't suppose you and Pansy are on speaking terms yet. No I suppose not." Lucius contemplated.

"You don't believe me, but I will get her. There is no question about that."

"Fine son, I hope you will succeed because if you don't have her in your arms by the holidays there will be consequences."

With that they left him in his room with so many thoughts in his head.

It wasn't as if he wanted to get married, he most certainly did not, but there was something disconcerting about having Lucia reject him. He'd been rejected before, his reputation was more often than not a turn off but the rejection never handicapped his confidence until now.

Lucia was strong, stronger than his mother and Pansy and any other Slytherin whore he'd encountered in the past. She was content in being a respectable woman with powerful opinions and he was actually somewhat impressed by her strong morale. But never the less she disgraced him in front of his father and he had already had enough of that. Lucia was to be his.

She wasn't an unfortunate find either. She had silky, thick hair of dark brown, but today it looked slightly red in the light. Her pale skin glowed and her petite frame was ample in at least one pleasing department. Her eyes were nothing to complain about either. They were a deep hazel with specks of green and blue. She was no Fleur but her Scottish beauty was apparent. How she gained a name like Lucia could only be attributed to her extravagant mother.

Draco had encountered an onslaught of hardships since the war ended. Ranging from complete abandonment by friends and family to a short term in Azkaban. He was no stranger to the pains of life, but he was to keeping a relationship.

Lucia was obviously a tough girl to catch, possibly even harder to keep. She was no blonde bimbo with tits for brains and Draco liked that, but it also scared him. She wouldn't fall for his witty one liners, she had better remarks to throw back. He couldn't charm her with his words, they moved right through her. And he surely could not touch her for fear his appendages would be in danger.

So instead of worrying about their future, both Lucia and Draco fell asleep trying to forget about what happened that day. The words of their parents rang through their heads like doorbells and wind chimes and they slapped them away. Instead they though of a much more pleasant subject, each other. And thus they fell asleep with the others face in their minds eye.


	3. Train Whistle's

It was nine o'clock sharp when Lucia and Genevieve arrived at platform nine and ¾. Genevieve was in a quite a mood and Lucia was equally irate.

"I don't understand why we must be here two hours early. The train leaves at eleven." Genevieve muttered, throwing her hands up dramatically before facing her daughter and asking "Do you think perhaps they have a surprise for us?"

"No mother, I have no notion as to why they would wake us up at such a horrendous hour, other than the fact that they are a disgrace to humanity." Lucia snapped back, pushing her cart of luggage.

"My dear, you must have an inkling of an idea, since you know them so well." Genevieve replied sarcastically.

It was moments like this when Lucia looked at her mother in a new light. She was usually a bimbo with little to say but pointless comments on fashion and the weather. She never attacked anyone on their manners or opinions; simply let someone else take control.

"I pretend to have no such thing; I just know what I know. And I know that they are terrible people." Lucia stuck up her nose in a snobbish fashion before carrying her baggage onto the train.

They had always arrived somewhat early so Lucia could claim a compartment for her and her friends. Usually she marked it in some way, like last year when she filled it up with forget-me-nots and daisies. It was deemed a bad decision after one of her friends, Meghan, had an allergic reaction to the flowers and nearly had her throat close up. This year she simply charmed the door to sing incessantly to anyone who wasn't her or her chosen companions.

Lucia didn't have many friends at Hogwarts, she was actually known for being quite the ice-queen. But the friends she did have were elite in whatever they did.

Katherine Turnplan was an expert in transfiguration. Her skills rivaled the infamous Hermione Granger's and they were often compared. She was tall in a stature, and very awkward looking. Her lank hair was unkempt and a dull shade of blonde. She was plain, but a very agreeable young woman.

Bernice Puncible on the other hand was quite a disaster. She had some of the highest marks on her owls that the school had ever seen but never did her work. The teachers disliked her and often ridiculed her openly as a waste of a desk, but her value could not be argued. She had a soft, round face framed by turquoise hair. She was not a normal looking girl, her large eyes made her seem alien and other worldly, but it matched her personality perfectly.

Meghan Dunlap was perhaps the least intelligent of the bunch. She was a Hufflepuff who managed to join the group through tutoring sessions with Katherine. Her long oak hair was stark straight and shiny, while her astonishingly blue eyes were small and almond shaped. She was extremely attractive but with little to show for it since she rarely socialized outside the small group.

There were very few people on the train that early in the morning, a few eager first years with their teary-eyed parents and maybe a few over achievers who wanted to get the front compartments. But none of them interested Lucia; they were all the people who unknowingly made her life at Hogwarts harder.

As she began to head for the exit she heard an ever familiar voice from down the hall.

"Now which compartment are you in." Draco Malfoy smirked, "So I can avoid it like a muggle."

"If you go near it you'll know" Lucia replied, exiting the train.

She let out a chuckle when she heard the start of the song "Love Fool" and a menagerie of swear words. It was fairly easy to entertain a cynic like Lucia.

"Lucia darling," now where had she heard those words before? "How are you my dear? You look so lovely in that skirt, is it Yonfellows? Oh I do love his designs."

"Hello Narcissa, Lucius." Lucia regarded them before turning to her mother.

"I was just asking them the reason we were meant to meet them at the station so early." Genevieve smiled a sickening smile before putting her hand suggestively on her hip. "I simply despise being woken up after such a wonderful dream." She looked at Lucius and shifted her weight subtly, but enough to reveal a slight amount of cleavage and accent her waist.

"I'm sure it was wonderful. Would you care to tell us about it?" Lucia asked her mother, feigning innocence.

"Maybe some other time my dear, when you're older." Lucia let out a bark of laughter.

"That was attractive Sometimes." Draco said, exiting the train.

"Did you like my singing compartment," He huffed for a moment "I thought you would." Lucia said before turning back to his parents. "Now I'm curious as to the answer of our question."

"We simply thought that we ended on a rather sour note last night, and we hoped to maybe have brunch with you before our children leave for their last year." Narcissa replied, grasping onto Draco's shoulder and smiling.

"That would be lovely!" Genevieve replied enthusiastically before grasping her own daughters shoulder.

"No it wouldn't." Said Lucia.

"And why would that be?" Asked the ever curious Draco.

"I promised my friend Meghan that I would be here at ten to do our annual predictions of the next year!" Lucia said, exasperated.

"Honestly Lucia, you just sit there commenting on how ugly all the young men are and make snide remarks about the girls. its gossip, you can skip it." Genevieve huffed.

Draco just smirked before saying "Perhaps you and my parents may go, and I will stay with Lucia."

Narcissa and Lucius looked pleased by this idea while Genevieve stayed indifferent.

"That would be lovely." Cried Narcissa, suddenly making her way to Genevieve's side. "I dare say we should go now for fear we won't get seated."

"Yes, what a wonderfully convenient idea." Lucia grumbled, slowly creeping back towards the train.

Once their parents had left, Lucia vowed to depart from Draco and relax in her compartment, but that was not to be the case.

Back in her compartment she attempted to start reading the History of Magic textbook only to be interrupted with the sound of singing and Draco, slamming the door behind him.

"I must say you have gotten attractive this summer."

"I beg your pardon."

"I said you've gotten attractive."

"I'm sorry?"

"No need to apologize."

"I wasn't."

"Are you flirting with me?"

"Honestly? No."

All the while "Love Fool" was playing in the background.

"Will you leave my compartment please?" Lucia finally snapped, after hearing the song for the third time she was rather annoyed.

"Not if you insist on being rude to me." Draco nudged closer to her.

"Oh but I do insist Malfoy, I most certainly do." Lucia stood up, placing her book on her lap before grabbing on to Draco's robes and pulling him out of the compartment.

It happened to have been the first time she instigated physical contact with him and she was quite lost by what had compelled her. She wasn't a physical person, whether it is anger or passion she had always been very passive towards her natural physicality. But he was so infuriating to her. There was no way she could be peaceful with him. He didn't respond to her sarcasm or her insults, he simply watched her and playfully attacked back.

"Now really Sometime's, there's no need to do that." Draco laughed, grabbing her back playfully before staring into her very serious eyes and pushing her back into the compartment.

"There is need when I can no longer think. You are a dreadful distraction Malfoy, honed on disrespect and hate." Lucia spat at him, letting go of his robes. "I can't stand people like you, people who can't understand the need to live a happy life."

"You should talk, you shove all chances at a connection away with words and expect them to sit down and take it. I may have made you suffer abuse after abuse but I know how to connect with someone."

"So you connect with Voldemort. What a lovely connection, marked by the scar on your wrist." She ripped his sleeve back to reveal the dark imminent mark before stepping back, quite at a loss for words. "And-and besides, you don't know me, how I live. You make all these assumptions and spew them like a fountain." She was nearly raging then, he was infuriatingly accurate in his assumptions it scared her.

"You barely even know your mother. Or if you do you refuse to let her know you." Malfoy retaliated, yanking his sleeve to cover his mutilation. "Don't think I haven't noticed your abusive remarks and-"

"I want you to leave," she pointed at the door "now!" She advanced towards him sharply.

He left the compartment in a rush quite unlike him and went down the hall to his own compartment.

Lucia was at her wits end thinking about what he had said. He had been right of course, she knew that much. It was not the content of his speech that disturbed him but rather the lips they came from. Surely he did not know her nearly that well? No one knew her that well besides herself. She had made sure that no one could read her like Draco just had.

She leaned against the window and stared at the still walls of the platform and sighed. He would simply need to rethink what he thought of her, because she could not be so easily understood.

It was ten thirty by the time Meghan had entered the compartment with her three suitcases and a fawning younger boy in tow.

"You must know what I did this summer." Meghan cried before hiking up her shirt to reveal a belly-button piercing.

Meghan was the kind of girl that had very little tact. She often bent over in the wrong skirts and wore heels she couldn't walk in. Her illogical decisions often embarrassed her friends but she never cared because it was simply the way she worked.

"Don't you just love it, it's absolutely precious!" She sat beside Lucia and shrugged off her shoulder bag before instructing the boy to set the bags on the overhead compartments. She continued to chat to Lucia while the boy stood expectantly like a dog. As if he had done his task and now he expected a tasty treat.

"I hate to disappoint you," started Lucia at the boy while examining her nails "but there is nothing here to keep you." The boy looked sorely distraught before he exited the compartment.

"What did you mean?" Meghan asked before pulling her shirt back down.

"Things, horrible things." Meghan laughed at this. She always liked Lucia's negative nature.

"I suppose you didn't get a boyfriend this summer?" she lifted her perfectly waxed eyebrow before leaning into Lucia like a child about to hear her favorite story.

"You already know the answer to that one. I didn't, I never do, and I won't be disappointed if I ever will." Lucia smiled sweetly and fluttered her eyelashes playfully.

"But why? They are ever so attractive this year. You know that Jorge Kornel guy? No? well he is extremely attractive. Not to mention Draco, I saw him in the halls and-"

"Don't even talk to me about Malfoy." Lucia pushed her head in her hands and rubbed her temple. "I can't stand that miserable prick."

"I'm sure he'd be disappointed to hear that." Meghan laughed before taking an avian water bottle out of her bag and sipping it calmly.

"What in merlins name do you mean by that." Lucia grabbed the water bottle before she could take another sip and looked at her curiously.

"I don't know, he was just asking me questions about you. I didn't tell him anything. But I saw Marisa Gifle in the hall and she has lost a ton of weight. She looks so good, I can't believe it." She grabbed the water back and took a large gulp. "I went on an all liquid diet and I lost ten pounds, but my doctor said it was mostly muscle."

"Hun, you didn't seriously do that stupid diet." She looked at Lucia guiltily. "You look fine! Why do you worry so much? You're beautiful."

The conversation was interrupted by Katherine and Bernice bursting in. They were giggling loudly and whispering into each others ear but when the door shut behind them they burst into loud yelps.

"Draco Malfoy is so mysterious." Bernice yelled, her eyebrows rising and falling in an expressive ark. "Dunno' whether I'll be able to resist this year."

"I don't understand you, he's a death eater." Katherine started.

"An ex-death eater." Meghan corrected.

"That doesn't matter; he was in Azkaban for goodness sakes." Katherine sat on the opposite side of Lucia.

"Anyways, he had quite an interest in you Lucia." Bernice said, sitting next to Katherine and pulling out her latest drawing project.

"He asked all these questions. Some of them were really strange." Katherine continued, smiling widely before pulling out her knitting.

"What did he ask?" Lucia was now curious about these questions that Draco Malfoy was asking her friends.

"Oh they were just questions. Like where you were born, what your favorite subject was, where you like to go in the free time." Bernice shrugged.

"We lied on all of them." Katherine laughed, leaning over her half-made socks. "We said you were born in Ecuador, that you loved Divination and that you spent all your free time in Trelawney's room." Both let out a bark of laughter.

"He asked me the same questions!" Meghan cried before they started a conversation about Lucia's possible future liaisons.

By now Lucia was perfectly infuriating. What right did he have to ask questions about her? Especially after pretending he knew everything and how she works. In fact she wasn't quite sure she wanted to even give him a reason to ask. He just was being greedy, taking and taking like he always does.

Lucia stood up, excusing herself for a trip to the loo. She rushed down the hall, opening up every compartment door in a maniacal fury until she finally opened his compartment.

He was alone, reading the newspaper and pushing his hair behind his ear. Lucia couldn't help but think that he was attractive when his mouth was closed.

"Now where exactly do you get off asking my friends questions." Lucia advanced on him, standing in front of him with her hands on her hips.

"I'm sorry?" He looked up from the paper with an innocent look on his face.

"Why are you so interested in me? I'm not interesting!" she was yelling by now. Pulling fury from places she never knew existed.

"You're really hot when you're angry." He stood up, and then put the paper down, his face close to hers.

She didn't back up, she didn't need to. That would be showing intimidation, acknowledgement and most importantly, fear. She felt all three of those things but didn't want him to know so she just whispered.

"Our parents are waiting for us to say goodbye outside the train." And left.

Draco wasn't quite as confused as she was. In fact he was quite amused. This façade he was playing with her was nearly as fun as playing quidditch. The best part was her fury; he'd never seen such raw animosity. Instead of immediately joining her he waited a few moments before exiting the train.

They said their goodbyes and hugged their parents. Making numerous promises they would never dream of keeping.

As the train whistle blew Lucia leaned over and muttered in his ear "Stay away from me Malfoy." He only smirked.


	4. Four Men in a Boat

As Lucia approached Hogwarts, she felt a steady feeling of relief and salvation; not only was she going to her safe haven, but a certain Draco Malfoy would be on the other side of the school, not to mention in the dungeons.

The ride was very peaceful, save a few outbursts from Meghan about how much fun she intended to have this year in her house. There was very little they all had to say, since their summers were mostly spent at home studying for the coming year.

They were nearly to the school when Katherine put down her knitting and looked at Lucia expectantly. "You don't suppose Hogwarts is going to be the same this year?" The light attitude of the room suddenly became heavy with thought. Even Meghan looked suddenly sober and reminiscent.

"No, I don't think so at all." Lucia muttered, putting her book in her bag.

"What about all those Death Eaters, they're all coming back this year?" Bernice in turn put down her charcoal pencils.

"They're already back! I saw Crabbe and Goyle on the train, not to mention Draco." Meghan said excitedly, earning a nod of approval from Katherine.

"I wouldn't worry about it, they're harmless." Lucia told them, trying to deflate a situation she wasn't entirely comfortable with.

"That's a lie and you know it. Those boys are more trouble than they're worth." Katherine looked at me pointedly.

"I always liked trouble." Bernice snickered dreamily.

"You like it unless you're in it." Meghan laughed.

"What about you Lucia, do you like trouble?" Bernice asked, leaning forward.

"Of course she doesn't, Lucia doesn't even like arguing." Katherine observed.

Katherine was only slightly correct, Lucia did like peace, but only not when those around her became overtly sentimental. She liked a good amount of discontent, it made things more manageable.

"The reality of it is that they're outcasts now." Lucia stated, trying to settle the subject. "They don't belong at Hogwarts." She looked at each one of them pointedly.

"It's not like we're going to adopt them like a charity case Lucia. Merlin, sometimes you're just too intense." Bernice stared at her, somewhat aghast by her behavior.

"I'm not like you Bernie; I don't pride myself on being non-biased. I am a very biased person!" Lucia argued. "Perhaps you should try to evaluate your own mistake in trusting anyone with a wand."

"That was one time. One!" Bernice stood up, slowly getting angrier and angrier.

"That's a lie, what about Jessica, Tony, Markus, Rita, Pablo and Jane. For Christ's sake even me." Lucia continued to sit there, trying to keep her voice even despite the stress inside.

"You just want to cause conflict, that's all you want to do Lucia. I think you should leave." Katherine told her, grabbing Bernice's hand as Bernice fumed.

When Lucia exited the department, she left her friends alone with pieces to put together.

"Bernie, Bernie its ok. She didn't mean it. You know she doesn't. She's just angry at Draco, shhh." Meghan said, pulling Bernice down.

"You know what she's like at the beginning of the year. She's just built up with stress; she doesn't know how to release it." Katherine stroked her hand.

"She was right though. I don't know what I'm thinking. I'm so angry at myself." Bernice muttered.

"Let's just forget about it ok? Lucia will be better when we're at Hogwarts, you know that." Meghan said.

Meanwhile Lucia flew rampantly through the train, once again looking into compartments in search of a companion for the remainder of the ride. She was having no luck and assumed that the people she was civil with were on entirely different railcars.

Whether it was desperation or some unknown force, Lucia opened Draco Malfoy's compartment door and sat down as far away from him as she could. He looked up, surprised and even a little happy.

"Trouble in paradise, Sometimes?" He smirked at her behind his book.

"Shut the fuck up Malfoy." Lucia snapped, crossing her legs protectively and closing her body. She held up a finger as a warning.

"Was it that wench Turplan, or was it Puncible?" He leaned towards her with mild interest.

"Because you know, this is totally your business, except for the whole part where it's not." Lucia told him, not making eye contact.

"I bet it was that Puncible bitch. I saw what you did to her last year." Lucia's head ripped up from her lap at an astonishing speed.

"I did nothing to her!" She yelled, standing up.

"Why do I not believe you?" He laughed. "Pansy and I were laughing about it the other day. I remember it perfectly, almost like I am in a pensieve. Her, writhing in pain, with my aunt standing above her and you, Miss. Sometimes, running towards the opposite end of the building." He laughed maniacally while sitting down, not intimidated in the slightest by the wand that was now pointed at his neck.

"It wasn't my fault. I swear." Lucia was fighting back some invisible tears that refused to come out.

"But it was my dear, maybe if you hadn't run away-" he was cut off.

"If I hadn't run away I would be dead right now. Surely you can understand that concept?" she replied viciously.

"Your bark is so much worse than your bite." He smirked, pushing her wand aside.

"What's your problem? Just twenty minutes ago you were trying to help me, mind you it was still a criticism, but you still were sincere." Lucia put her wand by her side and looked down at him with a mildly pained expression.

"Surely you don't think I care about you? You make me laugh sometimes." He laughed at his own pun.

Lucia let out a muted grunt and collapsed onto her seat. "She doesn't even hate me for it. Why doesn't she hate me?" she asked no one in particular.

"Why don't you hate me?"

"Oh I do Malfoy." She spat maliciously. "If I can say I hate anything truly, with my soul, it would be you."

"I'm honored to receive such a strong emotion from the likes of you."

"What the hell do you mean by that?"

"All these walls Sometimes. All these walls could come down with just a little love."

"Love is a joke for couples who want an excuse for a divorce."

"Love is the deepest emotion you can feel."

"You know so much about love Malfoy. After all you fucking killed in the name of it." She yelled sarcastically.

"You don't know anything about what I've done Sometimes. Why I did what I did was out of love. Love for myself, my family, and my friends. Do you know how much I would have lost if I failed?"

"Do you know how much everyone else lost because you succeeded?"

"I'm done with you."

"Good."

After moments of silence and muffled sniffles from Lucia both looked at each other for a moment.

"You understand me so well, but I don't know shit about you." Lucia finally stated, losing her cool demeanor.

"I would like to know you better." Draco stood up, in an attempt to sit closer to her.

She suddenly became flustered and confused and put her hands in front of her defensively. "I-I should go apologize." She grabbed her bag and shuffled out of the compartment. She had nearly reached her friends when she turned around and opened Draco's door once again and letting out a barely distinguishable "Thanks for knowing things that I don't." Before shutting it behind her and rushing back to her friends.

After making peace they arrived at Hogwarts, mostly in one piece besides the almost inseparable nature of Bernice and Lucia. Their apology had strengthened the odd bond between the odd friends.

That night McGonagall made a somber speech about the need to reunite after years of separation that she said ultimately caused the war. Lucia had to agree, but she found herself scoffing at the idea. Uniting with the Slytherin's was not on her to-do list.

The new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher's name was Hubert Forsworth who was a squat old man with plenty of scars, Lucia and her friends had a quick laugh about it before listening to McGonagall once again. There was also a new Ancient Runes instructor named Polly Kilgore, who was a pale pretty woman who looked to be in her early thirties. Then there was a Muggle Studies instructor named Sisto Burnam, he was a man who dressed like a muggle and had thick black hair and soft eyes. Lastly was the Transfigurations Professor, who was middle aged man who was dark and handsome, but with light eyes.

"Seeing as I was the old Head of House for Gryffindor we are in need of replacement. Usually we use Professors who have taught here for many years but instead we have decided to elect Professor Kilgore. I hope that none of you will make her stay uncomfortable." She looked at a Gryffindor, I recognized as Dean Thomas, especially hard. "To the rest of you, Argus Filch has reminded me to inform you that the Forbidden forest is off limits and you are not allowed to perform magic in the halls."

"Like that'll stop us." muttered Bernice, receiving a soft laugh from her friends.

"Have a happy school year, let the feast begin." McGonagall said.

The table was suddenly flooded by the most appetizing food Lucia had seen in what seemed like years.

"Gods I missed this school." Lucia let out, piling meat pies onto her plate before turning to the clotted cream and scones.

Meghan walked over from the Huffelpuff table and slipped in between Bernice and Katherine.

"Did you get a look at the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?" She asked. "He looks like he couldn't defend a mouse let alone a person!" she let out a laugh.

"I'm sure he wouldn't have been hired if he didn't know how to defend himself." Bernice told her.

"I wonder what side of the war he was on." Said Katherine thoughtfully.

"Did you even listen to McGonagall's speech? We need to separate ourselves from the war and who was a part of it. Otherwise things won't get better." Bernice said passionately.

"That isn't going to happen, Bernie. It's impossible for some of us to forget." Lucia stated.

"Some like you perhaps? I dunno' I think you should warm up to Draco." Bernice elbowed Lucia lightly.

"Not going to happen." Lucia replied, stabbing a chunk of ham and devouring it with a mad ferocity.

"He's certainly warmed up to you. He is so attractive." Meghan sighed.

"I don't understand what you see in him." Katherine told them smugly.

"Besides a fine piece of arse? Nothing." Bernice grinned.

"His arse isn't even that… fine. It's rather- well I'm not sure. I don't exactly stare at guys rear ends." Lucia spluttered out.

"You should start." Bernice nudged her again. "It's quite fun."

"Yeah Lucia, you've never had a boyfriend and you're not exactly ugly." Meghan commented.

Lucia looked at her tartly. "You've never had one either. And besides, I hate men."

"You know exactly why I haven't dated. They aren't worth it." Meghan twirled some of her straight hair.

"Precisely, and it's foolish to think that one guy, a death eater no less, is worth it." Lucia exclaimed.

"We aren't even talking about Draco anymore. Just guys in general." Katherine observed.

"Just stop talking; I'm getting a little tired." Lucia grabbed a pastry and crammed it into her mouth.

"I think you're interested in Draco." Bernice observed.

"I would have to disagree." Lucia managed to say through layers of bread and frosting. "Lucia Sometimes is not interested in anyone."

They sat in silence for a few moments, enjoying the chatter around them and the subtle warmth of Hogwarts.

"I heard your aunt died. I'm sorry." Katherine said.

"She was a retched woman, I'm surprised I was even invited to the funeral, let alone put in her Will." Lucia muttered, pushing food around her plate in a bored manner.

"She left you something? Oh do tell us what!" Commanded Meghan.

"It was more of a challenge. I had to find out who my father was, and in turn receive her fortune. I'm competing against my cousin Ferdinand, what competition. He's about as competent as a doorknob." Lucia explained.

"He has a fine arse too." Bernice commented.

"Gods Bernice, he's my fucking cousin!" Lucia muttered before remembering. "Wait, no he isn't. Well that explains his lack of the Sometimes family intellect."

"You're so egotistical; you're almost as bad a Slytherin." Katherine chastised.

"I am not. It's well known that the Sometimes family has excellent scholars." Lucia stated proudly.

"Your mother being the exception?" Bernice inquired.

"My mother… was quite smart when she was not looking to get laid. I'm afraid all the shagging has gone to her brain." Lucia laughed.

"You speak so highly of her; you must have such a great relationship." Meghan said, sarcastically.

"What about your parents Meghan? Are they still worried about Hogwarts?" Katherine asked.

"They don't exactly understand the wizarding world yet. I don't think they quite get the fact that the war has ended." Meghan muttered.

"Well you came back, didn't you?" Bernice asked.

"Just barely, they weren't eager by any means." Meghan rolled her eyes.

"I'm happy you're back." Lucia said, reaching over Bernice to grab her hand.

"I would have missed the hell out of you guys." She said sentimentally.

Lucia chose to ignore that comment and continue eating, pushing ideas of Draco and school from her mind for a few moments before standing up and heading to the Ravenclaw tower.

She passed the statue of Rowena Ravenclaw with very little concern and strolled up to the brass knocker.

"Four men were in a boat on the lake. The boat turns over, and all four men sink to the bottom of the lake, yet not a single man got wet! Why?" asked the bronze eagle.

"Honestly, what is with everyone and relationships? No single man got wet because they were all married or in a relationship. Holy hell can you leave me alone?" She plowed into the common room, dashing up the stairs into her room and dumped her carryon bag on her bed.

Lucia had a lot to think about that night, and while she lay in bed, mulling over a certain blonde Slytherin whilst her friends were sleeping, she unknowingly uncovered a part of her that had been dormant since the day she was born. Her harsh demeanor was suddenly interrupted by something soft and painful, something she had seen cross her mothers face hundreds of times before.

Lucia Sometimes was deeply attracted to Draco Malfoy. It was decided, and from that moment on, everything would change for him and her.

But she would not admit this feeling to anyone, not to herself, not to him, not to anyone else. So she tucked it away behind her heart, hoping maybe dust will collect around it and smother it until there was no room to grow. She would be happy with that, happy with a distant attraction, wouldn't she?


	5. The Worst Kind of Skeletons

Lucia glared hopelessly across the room as Professor Slughorn swooned over Draco's "exceptional potion making skills." Draco held a smug smirk and looked at his fingernails in a bored manner before turning away and putting his potion sample in a tube with a flourish.

She was sickened by his egotistical tactics. Her own potion, which was a puke-ish green, reeked of old socks and quidditch gear.

"Miss. Sometimes, I see you have once again created an interesting, and most likely deadly, concoction. Would you please empty it before another incident like last year occurs?" Slughorn told her, referring to the explosion that shook nearly half of Hogwarts in her sixth year.

"Yes sir." She replied bitterly, casting a cleaning spell over the cauldron and muttering something along the lines of "damn measurements, can never seem to get them right," under her breath.

She spent the rest of the class writing a two foot paper on what exactly went wrong in her potion and why she was so consistently worthless in the class. She had gotten a little over eight inches when the class was dismissed.

After packing up her bag, Lucia stepped towards the door only to be intercepted by none other than Draco Malfoy.

"You're worthless at Potions." He told her, pulling at her singed sleeve.

She yanked the sleeve away from him, sticking her nose up so high it probably interrupted broom traffic. "I am, by no standards, worthless, simply uneducated and slightly challenged." She stepped past him and put her hand on the knob of the door.

"Whoever heard of a Ravenclaw failing a class?"

Her hand twitched, her eyes narrowed. She spun around, pushing herself forward with alarming speed until her chest was barely a centimeter away from his. "I have never, nor will I ever, fail a class. You'd best remember that."

"Touchy aren't we?" He commented, placing two fingers on her forehead and pushing her backwards. "Can't say as I blame you."

She scoffed, letting her arm that was not holding her bag, cross her chest. "I'm taking tutoring courses from my friend Berni."

"No wonder you aren't making any progress, that girl never does her work." He laughed.

"You know very little about her then. See to it that in the future you research your predisposed positions, alright?" She snapped before finally leaving the classroom.

Through the open door she heard him call "If you ever want to pass Potions, you might as well let me tutor you. I'm free when you are."

She stood still and cringed, letting her eyes close and her hand clench around the hem of her skirt. She silently repeated in her head 'Do not concede, do not give in,' before continuing down the now very empty hall.

Determined to not let her mind wander to Draco and his ever-tempting offer she instead began a rant inside her head about the importance of passing all of her classes.

Her study sessions with Bernice were, of course, fruitless. Instead of discussing the properties of a Swelling Solution they were far more keen on discussing the flaws with humanity, more specifically; teenage girls.

"I hate how little confidence our generation has. They all sit at their mirrors, preening away as if a guy really truly matters that much." Bernice exclaimed, snapping the textbook shut with a resounding "whap."

They were both seated on Lucia's bed. Lucia was sitting cross-legged with the book still open in her lap while Bernice was sprawled across it with her legs unceremoniously hanging off the edge.

"What bothers me more is the contrived 'I'm so ugly, tell me that I'm not ugly even though I am,' attitude that girls take on." Lucia said, imitating a child. "It's so overindulgent. If they really want true, meaningful compliments they have to be a true meaningful person."

"Sort of like my dislike of work; I only avoid it so I am not just another genius. I'm a slacker genius!" Bernice commented, throwing her hands in the air.

"I'm not really like that at all, in any situation." Lucia muttered, averting her eyes towards her toenails.

"That's bull shit." Bernice laughed, kicking her lightly.

"I don't feel like talking about it." Lucia muttered.

"Then don't, it's better for all of us."

Lucia's head snapped up with alarming speed as she looked at Bernice with an intense breed of glare.

"I only meant-" Bernice started

"I know what you meant and I feel slightly alienated right now." Lucia muttered, feeling it was better to tell her the truth than to beat around the bush.

"Touchy aren't we." Bernice commented, reminding Lucia of her altercation with Draco earlier that day.

"Yes. Very. Now if you don't mind I'm going to take a stroll around the grounds." Lucia uncrossed her legs and walked out of the room, carefully shutting the door behind her.

It wasn't often that a Ravenclaw broke a rule, in fact most of them were so anal retentive they would never dream of doing such a preposterous thing. Lucia Sometimes, on the other hand, often found herself sneaking out of the dormitory past dark and stumbling across the halls to the kitchens.

On this very night she found herself not only stumbling, but tripping down the stairs. She thought that perhaps she hadn't made very much noise until she heard footsteps approaching. In her mind, the only logical thing to do was book it down the stairs and get as far away from those footsteps as possible.

She barely paid any attention to where she was going, and when she found herself in the cold, musty dungeons she could only let out a relieved sigh that misted in front of her.

Her eyes were unaccustomed to the dark, and when she saw the blaze of a cigarette only yards away from her, she couldn't help but gravitate towards its source.

Draco Malfoy stood there, in the corner with a fag between his lips. He open is mouth and let the smoke out below his tongue before tapping off the ash.

"Funny, I always thought of you as a cigar guy." Lucia commented, approaching the light like a moth.

"I always thought of you as a good girl." He threw back, holding out the cigarette like an offering.

"You'd be surprised." Lucia took the cigarette and placed it between her lips, letting her eyes close before taking a long drag. "Fuck, I haven't tasted smoke in a long time." She let the smoke slither out of her lips in thin wisps as she handed the fag back to Draco.

"I bummed it off Goyle, figured I might as well after a day like today."

"Day like what?"

"I don't know, it just seemed hard even though it wasn't."

"And a cigarette helps?"

"And a cigarette helps."

"I can't blame you at all. Last year was a hard year, I wanted to light up all the time. You know?" Lucia confided, rubbing her chilled arms.

"You don't know hard." He sent Lucia a sharp look before inhaling deeply and leaning against the wall.

"So… do you do this often?"

"This meaning?"

"Stay up late, smoking."

He chuckled lightly, "Not nearly enough. But yes, sometimes I don't smoke though. Figure it isn't good for my stamina."

"Would you mind if I joined you some nights?" Lucia asked, plucking some courage.

"No, I wouldn't mind. Smoking alone is always… unpleasant."

"Well I better head to bed then. It looks like our fags almost out." She started to turn away.

"Do you think you'll take up my offer for tutoring? In potions I mean." Draco asked, grabbing her arm lightly and turning her around.

"Yes. I think I'll take you up on that offer."

A smile spread across his thin lips, making Lucia want to smile back. Instead she just lightly shook off his hand and began ascending the staircase. Her toes were starting to go numb from the cold and her hands rubbed all over herself to try to revive the heat she felt from the cigarette and Draco.

When Lucia reached the common room, she couldn't help but notice a lumpy figure, curled up on the couch. At first, Lucia decided to ignore it; she was tired and couldn't be bothered by some chit, sleeping in the common room. As she approached the stairs, she realized that that lump was most likely going to get in some deep trouble they were to be found by the head of house.

She approached the hidden sack of flesh, trying to wake it as gently as possible without frightening them. Her fingers rested on, what she assumed to be, their shoulders. The palm of her hand lowered until she had a light grip on what was now definitely their shoulder. She lowered her head until she knew the form could hear her, but no one else could and whispered a quiet "Hullo."

The form shifted, sending the blanket in disarray as the form of Peyton Puncible: Bernice's "baby" sister revealed itself.

'Lucia, how nice to see you." She muttered, turning over and looking at Lucia with a light smile, only to grimace and bury her head into the blanket again.

"Why are you up so late?" Lucia enquired, looking around for signs of homework or studying. There was none, there was only a bottle of what used to be firewhiskey.

"I just couldn't sleep is all." Peyton moaned, pushing off the blanket and sitting up slowly.

Lucia held up the bottle and raised an eyebrow. "Well this will certainly put you to sleep."

"Oh come on, it's not like you've never gotten drunk before." Peyton barked playfully.

"Those were probably the most disgusting, shameful nights of my life." Lucia sighed, exasperated. "Look, if I could have gone back and changed those nights, I would have."

"What if we need something like this, something to put us to sleep because nothing else works?" Peyton asked, clinging to the answer.

Lucia was silent for a moment and stared at the fire that flickered so much like Draco's cigarette. "We all have skeletons in our closet, Pey. We all have things we want to forget and push away into that part of ourselves that no one else will mess with." She grasped Peyton's hand. "We can't do that anymore; we have to face those skeletons head on."

"What are your skeletons?" Peyton asked, her eyes wide.

"I'll tell you when you're older." Lucia said, standing up.

"I'm old enough now!" Peyton stomped her foot only to receive a sharp 'shhhh' from Lucia.

"Take that bottle and make sure the head doesn't find it. Go to your room and sleep the night through. You are so lucky I am not going to tell your sister about this." Lucia lectured, before entering her own room.

Everyone was asleep, Lucia could tell because of their light snoring. Peyton's question rang in her head: "What are your skeletons?"

If only she knew what kind of skeletons haunted her. There were the ones from the night of the final battle, where Bernice cowered under Lestrange's maniac gaze. Lucia was so drunk she had no idea what to do, so she stumbled away hoping she wouldn't die like she had just seen so many do.

She remembered Bernice yelling for help as she stumbled away, but it wasn't just yelling, Bernice was screaming. Bernice was screaming Lucia's name over and over again.

Lucia could not sleep that night. The sound of the wind outside kept her awake, along with the sounds inside her head. She watched her friends wake up and called out Bernice's name in a hoarse whisper.

"Yes love?" Bernice asked, with a sweet smile.

"I'm not feeling too wonderful, could you maybe bring me some porridge from the great hall?" Lucia asked.

"Of course, love." Bernice caressed her face in a friendly way and walked off.

Lucia laid in bed for around twenty minutes, contemplating getting up and going to class. She did not want to go, but she knew she was going to, it was just a matter of time. Bernice had still yet to come back from the great hall, and Lucia's stomach was growling in anger at her.

"Oh do shut up." She snapped, after the third loud growl.

"Talking to yourself, I see. Must not be feeling well at all." Bernice mocked, setting down the porridge beside Lucia.

Lucia immediately set to devouring the soupy mess.

"You know, I really do love you, Bernie. You mean a lot to me and I know sometimes it seems-" Lucia was cut off.

"No Lucia, I know how much you love me. That's all under the rug and done with. Bad times bring out the worst in people, but they still aren't bad people."

"Do you suppose Draco isn't a bad person?" Lucia asked, hoping Bernice wouldn't catch on to her fancy.

"I suppose he is, but then again I hear he's a real bad boy in bed." Bernice let out a bark of laughter before standing up. "Shall I tell Slughorn that you'll be late?"

"Don't bother, I'll be on time." Lucia smiled at Bernice.

"Best hurry up then, class starts in fifteen." Bernice left Lucia alone with her thoughts.

After getting dressed, Lucia marched down the steps of the Ravenclaw tower and into the dungeons where she would face the possibly not-bad Draco Malfoy.

Her confidence was shaken when she opened the door and she saw him turn to look at her with blatant smugness.

"You are late, Sometimes." Slughorn commented, not looking up from the board.

"I-I'm sorry. I didn't feel quite right this morning and got a slow start." Lucia replied, her tired eyes wide.

"Well, sit down." Slughorn commanded.

Lucia complied and sat near Bernice before turning slightly to get a better view of Draco.

"are you feeling better, love?" Bernice asked, shaking Lucia from her trance.

"No, of course not. I had to attend class, I would never catch up if I didn't." Bernice agreed and then looked back up at the board.

After nearly twenty minutes of listening to Slughorn explain the importance of Bestingler root, Lucia was rudely interrupted by a paper plane flying into her head. She unfolded it, being careful to make sure she read everything written on it after discovering the author.

It read:

'Tonight, before dinner. We'll start easy, then it will get harder.

Draco.'

Lucia almost let the smile she had on the inside burst through her chest. She wanted to yell out "Of course, I would adore to start out easy, even in first year, if it means spending time with you," Of course, she didn't. No girl so trained in control would.

As she scribbled down her curt reply of: 'That would be helpful, I thank you for your kindness.' Lucia couldn't help but let out a small smile every now and then. No one seemed to notice and it was almost like they were her own private joke. Falling for Draco Malfoy was her own private joke, and my was it starting to get funny.


	6. Trees

"I… I think I've been cursed." Lucia said, staring at the blank spaces of her homework.

"What makes you think that?" Meghan asked, coolly, not looking up from her own work that was now, nearly finished.

"Well I've been really distracted lately, and I keep getting these… emotions-"

"Oh my, we can't have that." Bernice commented. They were all sitting at the table in the Ravenclaw common room,

"Shut up, it's just… strange. I feel like I really like something, and it's not good to like. It's as if I'm infatuated with… a spider, or the dark arts or a… dragon." Lucia thought the simile was fitting.

"Bestiality is illegal, Lucia. Despite what Katherine does in her spare time." Katherine commented.

"Oh look, Kat made a funny. Do me a favor and never do it again." Meghan commented, sending Katherine an icy glare.

"It's not like I'm actually infatuated with a spider or anything, I'm just rather fond of the human equivalent." Lucia muttered.

"You aren't even fond of my pool-boy who plays guitar and swoons over you, somehow it's hard for me to imagine you being smitten over a spider-man." Meghan added.

"Unless you're one of those good girls that like bad boys?" Bernice added

"One problem: I'm not a good girl." Lucia laughed.

"You aren't bad either, I mean you do some un-delectable things, but you're no Malfoy." Katherine said.

"No, of course I'm not." Lucia cringed a little at the comparison.

"I don't suppose this spider you speak of is Malfoy?" Bernice asked.

Lucia looked up, sharply. She tried to keep her face even and her tone steady as she said "Of course not, what a silly idea."

"Good, because he gives me the nasty's." Bernice concluded.

"No, he gives me them as well." Lucia said, standing up. "You know what, I'm going to go for a walk."

"Want me to join you?" Katherine asked. "I've been meaning to discuss the prospect of, well you know, the thing we were planning to do this year."

"What thing?" Meghan asked.

"We can tell them. They deserve to know." Lucia told Meghan.

"We want to become animagus." Katherine told the others. "We've done the research, it's perfectly safe and it'll come in handy for our prospective career as paleontologists of the magical breed." Katherine added.

"Are you going to register yourselves?" Megan asked.

Lucia looked at Katherine before turning back to the girls, "No, we're going to keep it on the down-low, hush hush, you know the drill."

"You really are a bad girl aren't you." Bernice smiled.

"The worst kind." Lucia answered, smiling back. "And you know what Meg, let's talk about it tomorrow. All this not-doing homework is really giving me a brain-fuck."

"Yeah, tomorrow then? After dinner?" Katherine asked.

"Sure, sure, don't wait up for me before dinner, I'll be out late and you guys shouldn't miss it because of me." Lucia said, walking out of the dormitory into the halls.

Her pace was quick as she approached Slughorns room. The stench of potions permuted off the walls; it smelled of dragon's blood and rats. Lucia, herself, had always found that to be a contributing factor to her dislike for potions: the smell.

The classroom was empty, save a blonde boy, who was actually more of a man, a caldron and his textbook.

"I don't suppose some scented candles could diffuse this scent." Lucia commented, walking coolly into the room.

"No, but perhaps a love potion could." Draco replied, looking up from his textbook. "Page 15 of the sixth years potion book, it should be done before dinner."

"And if it isn't?" Lucia asked

"We'll scrap it and try it again tomorrow."

"Tomorrow. Hmm well, I better get started."

"I'll watch over, make sure you don't do anything too incredibly doltish."

"I thank you, deeply."

"I'm sure."

"Do you have to get the last word?"

"Yes…"

"I really do hate you."

"Good."

Lucia let off a small grunt before beginning to work on the potion. The ingredients were surprisingly morbid for such a fruity potion. Her hands were unsteady, and more than once, did Draco have to intervene with the preparation of the potion.

"You know, nothing has exploded. I'd have to say that this whole session is a general success.' Lucia smiled, looking down at the completed potion.

"Without me, it wouldn't be a point. If I didn't stop you from putting in too much toads stool-"

"It would have made a huge explosion and killed you and me both."

"No, but it would have evaporated into a toxic steam."

"Well isn't that nice."

"So, what does it smell like to you."

"Why?"

"Well, the potion is supposed to smell like what you're attracted to."

"And you would like to know, why?"

"Sheer curiosity, unless I have other reasons."

"It smells like smoke, quidditch, aftershave and… money." Lucia let out of laugh. "Figures I'd be attracted to bastards, but at least they're bastards with cash."

"What about you, Mr. Curiosity, what does it smell like?" Lucia asked, approaching Draco with a small swagger.

He stepped closer to the potion before inhaling it deeply.

"Soap, ginger, books and trees."

"I don't suppose you're into OCD, nature-freaks who likes reading?"

"Well you're into smokers who play quidditch, are rich and have good hygiene." He let out a laugh before approaching her and whispering in to her ear "You know, that sounds an awful lot like me."

Before Lucia could add a rebuttal he said "Tomorrow, same place, after dinner. Yes?"

"Yes." She breathed out.

After he had left and she had taken in more than a whiff of the love potion, Lucia began walking towards the great hall. She was pleased to find that dinner had, in fact, not ended.

Her friends had thankfully saved a seat for her, right in front of the overcooked steak and buns.

"How was your walk?" Katherine asked.

"It was pretty good, you know, I'm a nature-gal."

"Unless it involves plants." Bernice laughed.

"My hate for herbology has nothing to do with my love for nature."

"You prefer your books, we all know it's true." Meghan said.

Lucia gave her a smug look before piling cookies on her plate. "Can someone pass me the milk?"

"You smell funny, Lucia." Bernice commented from beside.

"Really, what do I normally smell like?"

"Well… clean mostly. You smell like that body wash, you know the ginger one. You sometimes smell like the library as well." Katherine told her.

"What do I smell like now?"

"Well you smell like Diagon Ally, puking pastels, home-cooking and… wool." Bernice commented.

"No, she definitely smells like apples, dog, pine nuts and wood." Katherine said.

"What are you all talking about, she smells like quidditch, sex, metal and leather." Meghan said, looking at everyone perplexed as they stared back.

"What. The. Hell. Katherine." Lucia asked.

"Hey, you asked." Katherine replied.

"I smell like love potion. I was working on it, you know, for practice." Lucia told them.

"Smells like it succeeded. Now it's my turn to ask. What the hell Lucia?" Meghan asked.

"I've… my study sessions with Bernice have really been paying off." Lucia lied.

"Yeah right, you're potions work is still shotty." Bernice told her.

"You were making the love potion for someone, weren't you? Was it this spider-man?" Katherine asked.

"No, no, no, I was… I was. Oh shut up."

"Something's up, big time Lu. You just downed about ten milk saturated cookies." Meghan told Lucia.

"Is it Draco, do you have a thing for him?" Katherine asked.

"No, of course not, he's a scum-bag!"

"Good, because here he comes." Meghan said.

"Be still my beating heart." Lucia mumbled, putting her hand on her chest. "Oh wait, it is."

"Oh ha ha." Meghan fake-laughed. "Your jokes are as bad as Katherine's."

"Look at his muscles, so good." Bernice commented.

Lucia turned around to look and saw him walk by their table on his way out of the great hall.

"I see the brawn, but where are those brains?" Lucia asked.

"He's actually pretty great at potions, you know, for a terrible person." Katherine said, looking down.

"You know what else he's good at…" Bernice started.

"Don't even say it." Lucia warned.

"Just stating the facts, no attraction here." Bernice confirmed.

"He has… a wonky nose." Lucia said.

"I find it rather endearing." Katherine said, still looking very indifferent.

"You know what, I think that you all can swoon over his precious nose or his amazing arms and his absolutely perfect ass, but I am going to go study for the transfigurations test tomorrow." Lucia said before standing up and going back to her room.

While exiting the common room she ran into the topic of conversation with an endearing nose.

"H-hello, thanks for helping me out. I know I'm a brat sometimes but-" Lucia was cut off.

"Hey, no problem Lucia, I actually kind of enjoy stopping you from making a disaster." Draco said, with a smug smirk.

"Since when were we on first-name terms?"

"Since I stopped you from making a disaster."

"You know, those two things generally don't correlate."

"Yeah well, I fancy that maybe you feel like we're on first name basis as well."

"Yeah, I suppose you are."

"Will you call me Draco?"

"I prefer poky-bear, or gerbil-burble."

"Got it, Sometimes it is."

"No! I like you saying my name, I was just making a funny."

"Making a funny?"

"Yeah… I'll call you Draco, Draco."

"I like it coming out of your mouth, Lucia."

"I'll make sure to say it more often, Draco."

"Only when appropriate, Lucia."

"Of course, Draco."

"I fancy that this conversation is ending, Lucia."

"It is, Draco."

"Good night, Lucia."

"Good night, Draco."

Draco hummed and walked away, leaving Lucia with a dumb smile on her face. She walked to her dormitory and entered her room. She began digging through her wardrobe for some of her pajamas when she realized that they were all in the wash. She assumed that Bernice wouldn't mind if she borrowed some of her pajamas.

Lucia dug through Bernice's wardrobe, trying to find a piece of clothing that would function as nightwear. While mucking around in its depths, she found a book. This was no ordinary book and she couldn't help but gasp and open it.

"Magick Moste Evile" is a novel that contains many dark magic references, but very little dark magic information; what Bernice was doing with said book was particularly confusing. Before she could put it back, Bernice came in through the doors of their room and looked at her with wide eyes.

"Give me the book." She demanded.

'Berni, what are you doing with-"

"Give me the fucking book!"

"Ok, ok, here you go." Lucia said, handing back the book.

"This is none of your business, you're always in my business Lu."

"I'm sorry, I'm just worried. This is dangerous shit, Berni."

"I know, but I have it under control, you weren't supposed to know."

"But why do you need it?"

"I… you don't know what… that curse, Lu. That curse got me thinking. You know how much it hurt? I can't… I can't go through that again Lu. I'm so angry and so… hurt."

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I just worry that you can't deal with this. It's dark magic Berni, darker than dark."

"I know, can you… can you just leave."

"Yes, but please take that back to the library."

"I promise."

"I love you, you know that right?"

"Yeah." Lucia left the room. "And I fucking hate you."

If Lucia had heard those last words, perhaps the next few months would have ended differently, perhaps people wouldn't have died, perhaps Lucia wouldn't have had to move away, perhaps Draco would have finally broken away from his families daunting past. Unfortunately, the dark arts that Bernice was messing with were nothing like what she could imagine.

"Katherine, have you noticed anything different about Berni lately?" Lucia asked, when she entered the common room.

"Well… yes and no. After what happened last year, it's no surprise she's different. She's quieter, her moods are quicker, and she doesn't laugh as much."

"You noticed it too? I'm really worried about her. I mean what if that curse changed her more than we know?"

"She's still the same Berni. Why do you ask, did something happen?"

"N-no, she just has been different and I'm worried is all."

"You know, maybe we should give her some space, to recover, you know."

"I don't know if space is what she needs. Voldemort had a whole childhood of space and look what happened to him."

"Don't compare Bernice with him, she is nothing like him and will never be like him."

"I-I know. I just- there's so much evil in this world, and a girl like Berni, a genius like Berni, can't help but see all of it for exactly what it is. If you can't beat them, join them. What if something like that happens."

"She's smarter than that."

"I hope so, I don't want to lose anyone else this year."

"You know you won't. Don't think I'm as ignorant to the rest of them either, I know what's up with you and Draco."

"What? How?"

"Pretty chummy in the potions room earlier today, you two were; would have taken a picture if I had my camera."

"Oh I do hate you."

"You're so precious when you're angry, Draco would be swooning."

"As if, he isn't even attracted to me: what he smelled in the love potion was some OCD, earth-muffin, book-child."

"You know, because that's not you at all."

"It isn't though."

"What did he smell?"

"Let's see… ginger, trees, soap, and… books? I think that was it."

"Sounds like you, smells like you miss I-must-have-my-morning-shower-or-worlds-will-end."

"You're silly, there is only one world, however it will end."

"Besides, you wreak of ginger, it's that fu-fu body wash that you claim makes you 'ultra-clean' but really just makes you smell it."

"I really really do hate you."

"And I really really don't believe you."

"I don't smell like trees though."

"No, but you love them. You took me to the tree museum last summer, you made me go to a forest filled with trees."

'What else would a forest be filled with?"

"Well normally forests don't have plaques dedicated to informing you about the lifestyle of trees."

"You can't understand the poetry of trees, they live for years and years and all their scars are internal. They go through the process of birth death and rebirth over and over again. There is nothing more beautiful than trees."

"That was the most boring museum I have ever been to. You know, not everyone loves trees."

"And not everyone loves old Babylonian texts about transforming time into actual dimensions."

"You have no idea how interesting the Babylonians were, they absolutely mastered time."

"And you have no idea how timeless trees are."

"Then we shall agree to disagree."

"Alas, a nice medium."

Feedback or no new chapter. that does not mean rate, that means message.


	7. Canoodling

"This is stupid." stated Lucia as Bernice began charming her hair into curls.

"What is stupid?" Katherine asked, as she finished getting her stockings on.

"This whole looking-nice deal that Bernice is doing." Lucia replied.

"I am right here and I am not that oblivious." Bernice snapped. "Besides, you looked terrible this morning."

"Why does that even matter? I am not up for the most shaggable Hogwarts female, and even if I am, Meg would have me beat faster than you can say Draco Malfoy."

"Now he is the most shaggable male at Hogwarts, by a landslide." Bernice muttered, finishing up Lucia's hair and moving on to makeup.

"Oh come off it, I don't want to have that shit on my face." Lucia pushed the blush away from her already flushed cheeks.

"Speaking of Malfoy, I don't suppose you are going to have another rendezvous?" Katherine slipped in slily.

"Oh you did not!" Lucia gasped, pushing herself off her seat in front of the vanity mirror before Bernice shoved her back down.

"Well I just-" Katherine started.

"What happened to friendship and not telling about these things?" Lucia asked, eyes wide.

"Wait, you and Malfoy canoodling together. My goodness Lu, I thought you may have had a soft spot for him but not an entire cushion and a cup of tea too!" Bernice exclaimed, blush abandoned.

"You are so odd Berni." Katherine shook her head.

"Well I don't but... you see... well I needed help in potions and he just offered and it's really been helping, or I think it has. I mean I successfully made a Love Potion yesterday and I can't help but think that that is some progress." Lucia managed to sputter.

"Well, if I did believe that the only reason you see him is for potions that would be fine, but blimey Lu, you honestly like him. I can see it." Bernice exclaimed.

"Of course I don't. Goodness, do we have to have this conversation every time the damned albino is brought up?" Lucia pouted.

"You know, perhaps you should let Bernice do your makeup. Just for laughs. Maybe, just maybe, Malfoy will like it. Not that it matters, since he is such a damned albino." Katherine interjected.

"Well, I suppose it could never hurt to look nice for once. You are what you wear, as my mother would say." Lucia said, giving in to her friends demands.

"No you aren't, you foolish girl." Katherine said, bitterly.

After an extensive makeover involving loose curls, torture devices known as eyelash curlers, lipstick lessons, skirt shortenings, blouse tightening and numerous disgusted looks from Lucia, she was finally deemed attractive enough to go to breakfast.

Upon entering the Great Hall, Meghan rushed to Lucia and said, in a rather loud voice "Lucia you look so much better! You look... good?"

Lucia looked up with a disgruntled expression and asked "Are you saying I normally don't look good?"

"No, that isn't it at all. I was just acknowledging that there is some serious improvements. When did you get breasts again?" Meghan asked.

"Oh my goodness, there are people around. And for your information, I've had them since this summer." Lucia replied, coldly.

"Well at least you bloomed, even if it was a tad late." Meghan commented, sympathetically.

"I hate all three of you right now." Lucia muttered, grabbing a pastry from the center of the table.

Meghan reached over and grasped the delightful treat before it came even close to gracing Lucia's lips.

"Ah-ah-ah, no no. If you want to look good, you best start Meghan's Magnificent Fat Melting diet." Meghan stated

"If you do not give the pastry back I will personally ensure that you will never, and I mean ever, be able to snog in the broom cupboards without filch knowing about it. And don't even think I don't know when you are, because I do." Lucia threatened.

"I haven't the foggiest of what you are talking about." Meghan said, poshly. But she set the pastry back on Lucia's plate before grabbing herself a bowl of gruel.

"You know, I think Meghan should be clued in to our conversation earlier, pertaining to a certain albino." Bernice said, slily.

"Oh you mean Draco, yes well I already know. You were 'studying potions' with him. Katherine told me." Meghan said dryly, spooning a mouthful of grey mush into her mouth.

"You stupid bitch!" Lucia said to Katherine, shocked.

"I figured she should know as well." Katherine said calmly.

"Next thing you know there will be posters put up saying 'Lucia Sometimes shags Malfoy.' in large print, and below it 'expect the unexpected.'" Lucia held up her hands, making a square.

"You shagged Malfoy? How was he? Big?" Bernice asked, quite loudly in fact.

"No, I didn't. Oh my goodness this day is terrible."

"Well I'm sorry but you sure made it sound like you did." Bernice defended, putting her hands up.

"I don't suppose any of you could make me feel more uncomfortable?" Lucia asked.

And leave it to Berni "I'm fairly sure I have an ingrown toenail. It happened after I accidentally cast a spell to polish my toes but really made the nails fall off. The healing spell didn't go quite right either."

"You really just said that?" Meghan asked.

"I suddenly feel as if arriving early to potions sounds wonderful." Lucia muttered, standing up and rushing off.

"She seems to run off like that a lot lately." Meghan commented.

"She always has." Bernice muttered, darkly.

Katherine looked at Bernice for a moment with a look of contemplation before turning back to wear Lucia had run off. Draco Malfoy was in her wake and he looked as if he were in a hurry.

In the hallway, Lucia was making her way towards Slughorn's classroom when she heard her name from somewhere behind her. She turned to see Malfoy, his eyes wide and stride quick.

"Yes?" She inquired, secretly relishing the attention.

"You look..." he trailed off before finishing "different."

"You don't like it?"  
"No no no, don't get me wrong, I do. It's just, the hair and makeup, and that skirt. It's just... it's not you." Lucia's heart melted like hot wax.

"Well I just thought maybe I should look nice for once." Lucia muttered, looking down at her skirt.

"You always look nice, today is no different. I just don't think you need the well... I like the shirt anyways. None of your other shirts fit you right at all."

"Draco, that is the nicest thing I have ever heard you say." Lucia said, stepping forward.

"Well I don't think it will be a common occurrence. I can walk you to class, if you'd like." Draco offered.

Draco and Lucia began heading down the corridor, both stealing glances at each other. Once they had reached the classroom, they stood outside for a moment and shyly gazed at each other, unabashed.

Lucia caught herself and muttered a quick apology before pushing the door, only to realize that you were, in fact, supposed to pull it.

"Here, let me." Draco offered, opening the door and letting her walk in.

There was no one in the classroom. Lucia and Draco took their normal seats on opposite sides of the room. Lucia held a prim posture as she could feel Draco eying her overly done head. They did not say a word for the rest of the period, and after it, they both went to their separate classes.

"So how did Draco like the new, improved Lu-Lu?" Meghan teased in Herbology.

"He was, in fact, displeased." Lucia stated, before slapping a Venus flytrap promptly on the head for trying to take a bite out of her arm. "Why is everything so dangerous out here? Why can't everything be harmless like charms. I do love charms."

"How could he be displeased with you?" Meghan asked, shocked.

Lucia looked at her as if she was an idiot and pointed at her filth covered face. "Because makeup is like dirt that people intentionally put on their face. He said it was unnatural and he liked me better when I was just myself."

"Your self has no figure."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, it has been duly noted and discarded."

"Not that it really maters since you don't like him, but I heard he has been asking around about you again."

"The fucker." Lucia seethed, even though she secretly relished in his attention.

"Darling, he can't help but find you to be an unchallenged conquest."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Well, he likes what he can't have. And no one can have you."

"You're right about one thing then."

Herbology finished and Lucia had the pleasure of only having to endure one more class that afternoon, Defense Against the Dark Arts, before dinner and ultimately, her private lesson with Draco Malfoy.

DADA was, as always, exceedingly difficult for Lucia. In the theory end of things, she was brilliant, but when it came to actually defending herself, she could hardly stand it.

"Ms. Sometimes," the new professor started, "would you care to show us a corporeal patronus?"

Lucia muttered a quick "shit" under her breathe before standing up in front of the class. She lifted her wand and began thinking of the happiest thought she could remember, only to be reminded that her only good memories were now laced with cynicism and bitterness. After mustering an image of a vacation to Florence in which her mothers boyfriend, at the time, became possessed by a wandering spirit and began dancing on the tables of the dining hall to Stevie Nicks.

"Expecto Patronum." She said, trying to sound strong. A soft mist floated out of her wand and landed lamely on the floor.

The professor looked at her for a moment before turning back to the class. "That was not a patronus. I was told by one Harry Potter that the students who were members of the D.A can perform patronus' without trouble. May I see those who can produce one?"

Lucia's eyes scanned the room as nearly all of it's inhabitants suddenly produced prancing silver creatures. She grit her teeth and looked at Malfoy who simply stood there as well, looking equally put out.

The class was dismissed and Lucia instantly fused to Draco's side, her eyes wide with questions.

"No happy memories to pick from then? Or were you just too overwhelmed by the professors beauty?" Lucia asked, sarcastically.

"Growing up with dark magic looming over me didn't give me much of an opportunity to be happy. I was always irritated or scared. Things change you know, people do. My mum and dad, they love me, just in a rough sort of way. And I'm getting to be my own and that's alright too."

"I think I just made everything bad in my mind. You know, my life isn't so terrible. I certainly didn't live all honey and roses, but I lived well. My mother loves me, as well as any man who comes her way. I just... I just grew up knowing how unhappy she was. I always knew it was because of those men. So I decided I can't be like her, I won't. I can't sleep around like she does and pretend it's alright."

"You are not your mother you know. You hardly even look like her." Draco said, running his hand through a lock of her hair.

Lucia just looked at him for a moment, her eyes soft and dazed.

Draco seemed to snap out of whatever trance he was in. His face hardened immediately and he started rushing down the corridor without Lucia. After getting about twenty feet away from her he turned back and exclaimed "Don't forget, potions tutoring after dinner."

"I wouldn't for the world." she muttered, still slightly foggy from the encounter.

The Great Hall was already filled to the brim. Her friends were all seated and they saved Lucia a spot.

"Oh Lu, I did mean to remind you, we were going to talk about that very important transfiguration project tonight after dinner, weren't we." Katherine said.

"Oh Kat, shit. I have another study session with Draco."

"What are you going to do, study his anatomy?" Bernice added, laughing.

Lucia glared at her. "I'm so sorry, I can cancel it if you'd like but I feel like passing potions is more urgent. Can the transfiguration wait?"

"I suppose so." Katherine sighed. "I just hope this Draco-thing will only distract you for so long."

"There is no Draco-thing." Lucia defended.

"Whatever you say darling." Meghan concluded.

Lucia rolled her eyes and stared across the hall at the Slytherin table to see two cerulean eyes shimmer back at her. She unconsciously smiled and blushed before looking down at her meal, hoping he hadn't seen the pink in her cheeks spread across her face.

That night, while the two of them were making the Drought of the Living Dead, Draco had slily put his hand around Lucia's waist and was steadying her arm as she dropped in ingredients. He had a gentle voice that lulled her as the dark potion simmered underneath her.

"Draco," Lucia simpered, only to remember that she never simpers "I don't suppose you like me do you. I mean as a friend because I feel like I can trust you, and, you see, I just am not I can do this."

Draco's mind immediately jumped to conclusions as he felt like his heart was being crushed.

Lucia saw the look on his face and immediately made it more clear. "I mean I can't make this potion; these beetles, they won't let me cut them. And I am having such trouble Draco." She was simpering again.

"Here," Draco said, grasping the hand that held the knife. He crushed the beetle and squeezed the juice into the potion. "Just an old trick a friend taught me." His eyes were sad and Lucia could see that this old friend meant something to him.

"Thank you." she whispered, her eyes fixed on his and brow furrowed.

"You need to stir, Lucia. Or else it will burn."

"Oh fuck!" She yelled, before scrambling to stir the concoction.

"Here." Draco muttered, yet again grasping her hand and moving the spoon in a slow, steady, circular motion.

The potion was finally done and the two bid each other goodnight. Instead of shaking hands or waving, they shared an embrace, the first of many. They were both fixated on the feeling of unity.


	8. Dear God

"Lucia Sometimes, you are the most worthless potions student I have ever encountered in my life!" Professor Slughorn yelled, his hair on fire and face covered in ash.

Lucia crumpled her brow and muttered a quick apology before desperately saying "You know, I know an excellent charm for hair growth."

Slughorn only pointed towards the door.

Lucia got up, assuming her rejection from the classroom was a bad sign. Before she could even leave the room she heard Slughorn mumble "How the bloody hell she got into NEWT potions is beyond me." A few snickers followed her out the door.

She spent the rest of the period sitting outside the classroom, wondering if a word after class would mend the torn relationship she and Slughorn had. When the doors opened, her arm was grasped by a large, pale hand that dragged her into an empty classroom.

"You could have killed yourself!" Exclaimed Draco, his hands flying in the air.

"Oh don't worry about that, Slughorn sustained the most damage and he's a tough old bird, he can handle it."

"Okay first off, birds are female-"

"That's sexist you pig."

"Oh my goodness, shut up. Do you have any idea what danger you put yourself in by being so damn lazy in that class?"

"Hey, I prefer potionally challenged." Lucia snipped.

"Just shut up and realize what I am trying to say: potions is a dangerous subject and I do not want you to get hurt."

"Oh."

"Oh? No snide remark, no witty comeback?"

"Well normally I would say something like 'if potions is so dangerous, why do they teach it in school?' but I am too preoccupied with the fact that you don't want me to get hurt."

"You are so dense Sometimes."

"I'm sorry but were you using my last name or the actual word?"

"Does it change the meaning?"

"Well yes it does."

"Both then."

"Well shouldn't you have said 'You are so dense sometimes, Sometimes?'"

"Will you just shut up for two seconds please." Draco slammed his hand onto the desk. "This is hard enough as it is."

Lucia's posture softened as she took a step forward and placed a hand on his shoulder, rubbing his collar with her thumb.

"Just please, don't ever make me worry that I'll lose you, please."

Lucia's posture instantly stiffened and she sharply brought her hand back to her side and started to head out the door. "You forget, Malfoy, I'm not yours to lose."

Draco stared at the with a look of frustration, and possibly even some sadness. It was already two weeks into the term and it seemed to him that the closer he got to Lucia, the more she feigned away. If he were to succeed in his mission to restore his families honor he would have to force Lucia to admit her feelings for him. A plot suddenly spouted into his mind with a stunning speed.

Lucia sat in the Great Hall quickly inhaling the muffins and jam with her friends during dinner.

"I wonder how many muffins Lucia could stick in her mouth at one time?" Meghan asked out loud.

"Want to find out?" Bernice smiled wickedly.

Lucia's eyes widened and she cried out "No!" as her three 'best' friends lunged at her. She quickly ducked under the table and began crawling over feet until she saw the end. A bright like shot in front of her and she saw numerous muffins flying directly at her face. As opposed to doing the logical thing and trying to counter the attack, Lucia simply stared, mouth wide open.

Four muffins later and Lucia was spluttering for air.

"That's more than I thought." Katherine stated nonchalantly.

"Makes you wonder how many dicks she could suck." Bernice added, staring at Lucia's bright pink expression.

"Agh gant gwallow." Lucia managed through the doughy mass.

"What was that?" Bernice asked.

"AGH GANT GWALLOW!"

"Oh, I can't swallow…. well…. too bad." Meghan said, forking a cucumber and then chewing on it delicately.

"Gahhhhhh!" Lucia exclaimed.

"Goodness, are you physically incapable of performing magic or are you just that stupid." Katherine commented.

Lucia flushed a bright red before performing a silent charm to make the muffins disappear. "Stupidest Ravenclaw ever, as I always say." She commented, still embarrassed.

Suddenly a paper butterfly floated over, it's bleach white wings flapping silently before landing on Lucia's shoulder. She carefully unfolded it, reading the text to herself before slipping it into her pocket.

"What was that?" Asked Bernice.

"Oh nothing, just my mother trying to be funny and send me enchanted letters." Lucia lied. The note, in fact, was from Draco inviting her to study with him tonight in the potions room at 9. Lucia considered it strange that Draco would want to meet at such a late time, but eventually brushed it off as something not to be concerned with.

"So Katherine darling, and I do mean darling," Bernice began.

"You want something, spit it out." Katherine stated, staring at her giant piece of red velvet cake.

"You wouldn't happen to be, you know, eating _all _of that would you? I mean you _must_ be watching my figure?" Bernice said slowly.

"Are you calling me fat?" Katherine stated, her eyes suddenly wide.

Bernice sputtered and quickly said "No of course not, I just want your cake!"

Lucia let out a bark of laughter before poking Katherine in the arm.

"Well if I am fat, then Lucia is enormous." Katherine commented with a smirk.

"It is not my fault I am proportionally challenged." Lucia commented back,

"Your breasts are like planets, they even have gravitational force. Prime example: Draco Malfoy." Meghan commented.

"Well your arse is like…. well I am terrible at metaphors but it's something weird." Lucia sputtered, looking down at her chest.

"Hmm well breasts are meant to resemble the buttox since human sex is unique in that it is done in the missionary position as opposed to the doggy position." Katherine said, popping a delicious bite of cake in her mouth with a small smile.

"Remind me to never have breasts." Lucia said, her mouth hanging open.

"Too late." Sang Bernice, shoving her lightly on her chest.

"OK, question." Meghan started.

"Really now?" intervened Bernice.

"Shove it. So we're seventh years, correct?"

"_No, _really?" Lucia mocked.

"Shove it times two. Where are the parties? Why have I not gone dancing?"

"Going dancing, in your case, means slutting it up surrounded by men." Lucia stated haughtily.

"You know I actually heard on the rumor mill that there's a Slytherin party tonight at 9 in the dungeons in an abandoned classroom. It's supposed to be fun, lots of alcohol and the like." Katherine stated.

Lucia's eyes immediately widened in realization. He wasn't trying to tutor her, he wanted to trick her into going to a party and getting drunk. That worthless piece of ferret scum. She decided, with a smirk, to give him a taste of his own medicine and play along but by her own rules.

Lucia snapped her head in Katherine's direction and said with a glowing smile "We should go."

Bernice spat out her pumpkin juice and said "You hate parties, you hate people!"

"Well perhaps I have changed, and maybe I wouldn't mind, you know, looking attractive for the party. Just for fun of course." Lucia twirled her hair in her fingers.

Meghan dropped her glass on the floor before turning her eyes to Lucia before squealing loudly. "We must get started immediately." She grasped Lucia's arm and pulled her up the stares before leading her into the Hufflepuff common room followed by Katherine and Bernice.

Lucia was place in the middle of the room to be scrutinized by the three girls before they started to all speak in hushed voices.

"Do I get input on this decision?" Lucia asked, her hand slightly raised.

Katherine gave her a sharp glare that pointedly said 'no.'

Without any warning Meghan grabbed a dark blue, metallic looking dress from her closet and a pair of snakeskin heels. The dress was short and scrunched on the front and back, leaving the hemline to dip down in the middle. The top had two layered ruffles and two thin straps.

Lucia looked at it doubtfully before saying "You guys seem to have short term memory. You see…. I have breasts. And not just mosquito bites, but like…. poisonous rattlesnake bites. I just don't think this will work."

"Don't knock it before you try it." Bernice shook her finger at her.

"So makeup, which is vital to not looking like a complete prude." Meghan said nonchalantly.

Lucia's face reddened and she said quickly "Virginal is the new slut."

"No it's not." Sang Bernice, pulling her thick hair away from her face before practically pushing her in front of the vanity mirror.

After nearly 2 hours of plastering on makeup, pinning and spraying hair and convincing Lucia the she was not making a terrible mistake and that, indeed, looking like a slut is harder than it looks, they were all prepared to enter the world of drunken Slytherin partying.

"What is this shit?" Lucia practically screamed over the too-loud music.

"Good shit!" Replied Bernice, dragging Lucia out on the dance floor.

Even though Lucia would never admit it, she rather liked dancing. Her hips gyrated to the music, sending pulsations through the rest of her body. She rolled her stomach and lower-back, jutting her butt outwards provocatively while keeping her hands above her head. The music itself was actually quite bad: the bass was too loud, obnoxious vocals screeched about sex and alcohol, and the fact that half of the 7th-year was singing along was not at all helping.

"Get it girl!" Laughed Meghan, referring to Lucia's snake-like movements.

Lucia merely rolled her eyes and popped her breasts forward before moving her hips sharply to each direction. Her eyes roved the room in search of blonde hair and a smirk. Instead she saw blue eyes, darkened by the shadows of the room. She could tell they had been watching her for awhile and for some reason that excited her.

"Hella Good" by No Doubt came on and she felt like this night was made for her. She stared back at him as she continued to dance, rocking her hips to accent the song. She felt hands on her hips and looked behind her to see none other than Michael Baddock, a Slytherin who she had never spoken to and probably didn't realize she was not only an ice queen, but the ice queen. In any other normal situation she would have swatted his hands away and given him a biting remark, but the look in Draco's eyes was simply to satisfying. Instead she leaned back into him, putting her hands in his hair and arching her back, sliding down him slowly while her eyes pierced into Draco's. She smirked from across the room, tossing her hair over her shoulder and turning to face Michael before giving him a quick shove and walking towards the refreshments.

She tasted the punch before promptly spitting it back into the cup, noting the intense taste of vodka.

"Can't handle your alcohol?" A snarky voice said from behind her and she instantly recognized it as Draco's.

"More like don't want to." She replied, pulling out her wand and transfiguring the punch into water.

"That was very mean of you back there." Draco commented, putting a hand on her waist possessively.

"Now whatever do you mean." She said while picking his hand up with two fingers distastefully and placing it back by his side. "I have been nothing but nice all night I would never do something naughty," she pursed her lips out, pouting a bit before playfully shoving him and saying "besides, I would never dream of leading a snake like you on."

He grasped her waist, harder this time, and pulled her to him. "Too late." He whispered in her ear.

Lucia felt a wave of excitement rush through her as she felt his body so close to hers. She could almost feel his smirk as she shivered under him. After savoring the moment she grabbed a cup of the spiked punch, downed it and then dragged him onto the dance floor.

Her hands found there way into his hair as she pulled him closer. She felt her pulse quicken as he dragged his hands over her hips, pulling them closer to his. His mouth was on her neck, placing open mouth kisses across her pulse. He licked at her ear and she had to hold back a moan as he began to suck on her earlobe.

A thought crossed her mind as he was doing this: 'Dammit, dammit dammit dammit. What am I doing, what is he doing?' but it was quickly overshadowed when his hands reached between her thighs.

Begin sexual content

She felt herself getting wet as he began pushing her dress higher and higher up her thighs. Her head tilted backwards onto his shoulder. He watched her and smirked as he saw her eyelids lilt in ecstasy. The opportunity for him to make her his had arisen and he took it. Grabbing her arm he led her away into the Slytherin common room, up the stairs and into his dormitory. He opened the curtains to his bed, which he had transfigured in his third year to be a queen as opposed to the normal twin, and pulled her in.

He felt the uncanny need to kiss her, but when he did she stopped him with hooded lids and told him that she didn't kiss. Instead he attacked her neck, leaving hickeys where he left, licking across her collar before licking the salt off her ample cleavage a smelling her deeply.

All the while Lucia let out little mewls of pleasure and clawed at his back and head, her hips instinctively pushing towards him with wanton wanting.

He pushed the straps of her dress aside. The front of the dress was pushed down and he pulled her bra down with his teeth and began kissing and sucking at the top and sides of her breasts, occasionally brushing his lips against her erect nipples. She shuddered in response and began feeling a want for him to take her nipple into his mouth.

Almost as if he could read minds he immediately did. She bucked wildly against him, grasping his head and pushing it towards her breasts. He looked up at her as he sucked and bit at her tender buds, occasionally sucking quick and hard and immediately biting. Her mewls turned into moans as she felt her already blazing excitement turn into a pool of lava in her stomach.

"Draco…." she moaned out, before pushing him slightly off and removing her small dress before going for the shoes.

"No, keep those on." Draco said, stopping her before she could remove them.

She smirked before flipping him over. Her lips connected with where his neck connected with his shoulder, biting and licking as she unbuttoned his shirt. After three buttons she got frustrated and ripped the shirt off, sending buttons flying all over the bed. She moaned out loud when she law his alabaster six pack that was luminescent despite the darkness of the bed. Her hands ran across its rippled surface and her eyes widened in pleasure. She could feel his hard member against her thigh as

He smirked down at her practically naked form. She was only covered by an askew lace bra and a purple animal-print thong. The mismatched set covered an ample pare of breasts and an either very well trimmed or completely shaved pussy. Draco couldn't wait to find out. He reached behind her and skillfully undid her bra clasps, before pulling the thin material off and throwing it on the floor next to them. After flipping her over once more he began to kiss her stomach and hip bones before pulling her thong down her legs with his teeth. She was shaved. Her dripping wet cunt was pink and soft with full lips and a swollen clitoris sticking out from under it's hood.

Draco's fingers fondled her thighs, slowly making their way towards her core. He spread her lips in order to look at her pussy better and say that it resembled a ripe fruit, blood red at its core. His fingers traced her slit, making her buck against him, pressing her pussy into his hand.

"Please." She let out, not exactly sure what she was asking for.

He plunged his fingers into her core, eliciting a slight squeal of surprise and then a moan of pleasure. He felt her muscles clench and then relax against his fingers as her legs clamped around his arm, wanting him to go deeper. "Relax darling." He whispered, pushing her thighs apart until she was spread before him, legs wide and breasts splayed out as if on display.

He began pumping gently, enjoying her moans that steadily grew louder. Lucia felt the burning in her stomach begin to peak and she cried out in pleasure before she felt an entirely new sensation. Draco had taken her swollen clitoris into his mouth and began to suck and bite at it, making her scream out with pleasure. She felt as if she were teetering over the edge and when she felt his fingers hook inside of her, hitting the front wall of her uterus, she went over the edge. Her walls clamped around him and she arched her back, screaming his name as he grinned into her seeping cunt.

"Fuck Draco." She cried, coming down from her high. However he was not quite done with her.

He continued to finger her as he used his other hand to undo his belt and pull the rest of his clothes off of him. Lucia stared at his thick member, mesmerized by the fine, dark blonde hair surrounding it and the veins that ran across it. She was simultaneously confused and enthralled by this new progression in their intimacy.

"Are you ready?" He asked, true concern shining through his lust-filled eyes.

She nodded, her mouth dry and mind-reeling.

"I'm not going to say this won't hurt, because it will," he warned, positioning himself at her entrance, "but I assure you, it gets a lot better."

With that he entered her, not slowly but not exactly quickly. She felt a quick sharp pain and then the ache of her walls being stretched to accommodate his girth. A small whimper escaped her lips and she bit his shoulder to stifle the cries.

"Tell me- when I can move." Draco managed to say, his eyes tight in restrained concentration.

Lucia felt the pain lessen and instinctively wrapped her legs around Draco's body before whispering in his ear "go."

Draco began slowly thrusting himself in and out of her body, at first with little response from Lucia as she was getting used to the sensation, and then with much more explosive enthusiasm.

"Yes, yes, yes! Harder! Fuck me! Oh Draco!" She moaned out.

Her words only turned him on more as he began to roll his hips in both directions before thrusting violently into her, making her scream with pleasure.

Draco never did like missionary position, it made touching far too difficult. While still inside of her he rolled them over onto their sides, forcing Lucia's leg above her head as she faced away from him. This new position gave him leverage so he could touch her breasts and clitoris making her pleasure exponentially more powerful.

Lucia yet again felt her orgasm rising within her, now aware of what it felt like. She let out a warning, screaming "I-I'm gonna cum!" Her muscles tightened around him and he felt his own pleasure fast approaching. With a grunt he came inside of her as she screamed her release. He waited for the pleasure to stop before pulling out. Lucia was still quaking from the release, her pink body contracting in prolonged pleasure.

Draco pulled her body towards him, feeling some tenderness he had never felt with anyone he had slept with before. His skin was like lava against lava. She turned into him, nuzzling her head into his neck before pulling back and looking at him.

He, yet again, had the urge to kiss her and this time she didn't tell him to stop. Her lips were just as he had imagined, full and soft. She sucked on his bottom lip lightly and was nearly brought to tears at the sensation. Never before had she felt as complete and wonderful as she had when she kissed him.

He was not sure whether it was the after effects of the orgasm, but Draco could hardly believe how correct it felt to be kissing her.

It was only one kiss, they both pulled away at the same time and Lucia once again snuggled into his shoulder, enjoying the smell of sex and sweat in the air. She felt liquid trickle down her thighs and didn't mind at all.

She fell asleep in his arms, her naked body fuzed with his in an undeniable bond that seemed to keep them together forever. She fell asleep happy and content. She fell asleep not at all regretting what had just happened. She woke up and felt entirely different.

"Dear god, what have I done."


	9. So Damn Backwards!

**Sorry this is so super disgustingly late. I have been computer less until now and writing has been slow-going. I will be getting laptop very soon though so yippee etc etc etc. I hope you enjoy this, it is a bit shorter than usual because I have to wake up early tomorrow but I reached a good stopping point and the last one was a bit long anyways.**

Lucia woke up startled and confused. Her body was sore but not stiff. She felt the saltiness of dried sweat and the stickiness of skin against skin. She peeled her body off the one behind her, wincing as her inner thighs itched with dried blood and semen.

Inside her mind she was trying to rationalize sex, even though it was very messy. She had still yet to remember just who had their arm draped over her hip. It wasn't easy to say that sex was not enjoyable but she felt the awkward moment coming where she would have to look behind her and confirm what she knew to indeed be true. Last night she had indeed slept with Draco Malfoy and if luck were on her side, he would still be asleep. Judging by the loud snoring of his roommates and the lack of light coming through the curtains it was still very late at night/very early in the morning. That moment was a good opportunity to escape unnoticed.

Formulating a plan she decided to get up at that moment, take one of his cloaks, go to her dorm and change without waking her roommates and then proceed to the hospital wing to get a morning-after pill. She contemplated using some mildly illegal spells to ensure that Draco would never mutter a word about their night to anyone but decided against it as she looked at him. She had originally assessed that his face, though handsome, was too harsh and tense to be attractive. While he slept she found that he had a softness about him that was appealing.

She looked around his bed to find her dress and underwear, trying hard not to disrupt his slumber. Her panties were lodged under his thigh and she decided not to even try and pulled on her bra and dress before slipping out of his bed and grasping the discarded cloak on the floor and covering her body and most of her face. She walked quickly down the stairs, into the common room and rushed out into the dungeons, vaguely remembering how she got there last night.

It was cold and the clock in the great hall said it was just after 4 am. She hoped that the hospital wing was still open and that her roommates had found a place of their own to sleep or someone else to sleep with. Kathleen probably was in bed, but perhaps Bernice found a man she wanted to sleep with or perhaps a woman as she did sometimes when she was drunk.

Katherine was asleep when she slipped into the dorm room. Bernice was gone, as expected. She slipped off her heels and dress, leaving the bra on. She put on some panties, sweatpants and a t-shirt and then slipped on her flats and began the trek to the hospital wing. It was four floors down, not very long to walk, but it felt like forever to Lucia.

The wing was empty. No one was in the beds that lined the walls. Madame Pomfrey was asleep and her office was empty. Lucia slipped into one of the beds, pulling her knees to her chest as she tried to go back to sleep. The anxiety of the night hit her as she lay there. Her brow wrinkled as she began to think of all the consequences.

He would most likely tell his friends and even if he didn't people had noticed. Even though Lucia managed to fall under the radar, Draco was extremely high profile and seemed to be the center of everyone's attention.

How would their relationship change? He was already pushing personal boundaries with her and, though they had sex, there was no way she would let him get past this emotional boundary she had put in front of her.

What worried her more was the effects of sex. Now that she had experienced it would her body crave it? Was it going to be an addiction? Would she gain a reputation for looseness? Would she turn into her mother?

The last question haunted her the most as she let out a choked sob. She quickly pulled back the tears and straightened her body and started to relax. She knew she should sleep ad felt like she could if she were to stop thinking about it.

Despite her intentions she couldn't fall asleep. She stared blankly at the ceiling, gritting her teeth and trying to distinguish logic from the emotional fallacies. Daylight broke and Madam Pomfrey woke from her slumber to find Lucia in one of her beds. It didn't take long for Lucia to explain the situation with minimal details and receive the potion, but Lucia requested that she spend more time in the hospital wing, citing her not feeling well.

In reality Lucia did not want to face the situation that probably was brewing at breakfast. Draco was likely to be there, as well as her friends and everyone else who could possibly be aware of what happened last night. The last thing she wanted to do was confront the future.

The doors swung open to her left and she chose not to look up. It was probably some teenager looking for a hangover potion or someone in a similar predicament to her. She closed her eyes and rolled onto her eyes.

"Lucia," a soft masculine voice said. "Are you alright?" It was Draco.

Her eyes tightened and she slowly opened them to see him sitting beside the bed. She rolled over again, facing the opposite wall and tensing her body into a ball.

"Please tell me what I can do so I can make this better for you." He murmured, his fingers pushing her hair off her shoulder and caressing her back.

"Just fuck off, please just fuck off." Lucia muttered, tears bursting out from under her eyelids.

"I'll lie. I'll tell everyone you rejected me and we didn't do anything. Or that you passed out and I gave you my bed. I'll even say that I hit you, or made you pass out." Draco begged. "Just don't be angry with me."

"Why the hell shouldn't I be angry with you?" Lucia turned around, her eyes were red. "You manipulated me and turned me into… a slut. And now everyone knows just how much of a whore I am."

"They won't think that. I promise I will say something and no one will know." Draco cooed.

"I just want to take back last night. Never remind me of it, never mention it, and just leave it alone. It didn't happen, please!" Lucia sobbed.

Draco sighed and sat on the bed. He pulled her head onto his lap and began stroking her hair. "No one will ever know and I won't say. I promise you everything will be just as it was."

Lucia let out a muffled sniff and muttered "Thank you."

"Why are you so upset anyways?"

"Because I lost my virginity to someone I don't even like." She lied, sobbing.

Draco visibly stiffened but Lucia failed to notice. "I didn't mean to. I know it was important for you to lose it with someone you love."

Lucia let out a choked laugh. "I didn't even want to lose it, ever."

Draco's eyes opened wide with shock before he started laughing hysterically at her statement. "You-you really thought you would-oh god-you would never lose it to anyone? I find that very hard to believe."

Lucia sat up and looked at him with a look of indignation. "And why, pray tell, is that hard to believe?"

"Well, for one thing, you had a ferocious appetite last night that seemed to have been building for a long time."

Lucia scoffed, folded her arms but did not argue.

"_And _it's just human nature and though you are an almighty superior being in all aspects of life besides potions and being normal, you are still not immune to urges."

"I tried, I really did. I always figured, if I did change my mind, that it would be so damn normal. I'd be friends with a smart, boring guy, enter a stable, boring relationship, fall into tender, boring love and have some intimate, boring sex. Instead I fuck a sex god and I can't even blame it on the alcohol!" Lucia threw her arms in the air in defeat. "Everything is so damn backwards!"

"So are you saying we're going to have intimate, passionate sex, fall into tender, passionate love, enter a stable, passionate relationship, and smart, passionate friends? That last one didn't really work did it? Damn." Draco grinned at her.

Lucia let out a bark of laughter and smiled at him in a tired manner. "If that means I get access to the extensive family library then…maybe." She joked, not intending for her comment to be taken seriously.

"Alright, pretend to be my girlfriend over winter break and you will have free reign over the library. All our dark magic books were confiscated, but we have an extensive comprehensive history section." Draco perked up at the idea.

"I don't think so Draco, I was only joking." Lucia placed a hand on his shoulder to comfort his embarrassment.

"I'm not joking. We have all the records on file for births, deaths and crimes. Our transfiguration section is the largest in the entire world. My mother owns more books on charms than any person should and she hasn't read any of them. It's just pretend Lu, nothing more."

Lucia eyes him suspiciously. "You are a Slytherin, aren't you?"

"Well technically yes but-"

"And you do not feel ill at all?"

"No of course not but I-"

"_And _you are not trying to use me for some means to an end?"

"Of course not!"

Lucia thought about it for a moment. If he did indeed carry all the books he said he did, perhaps she could benefit from his library in some way. The challenge that Aunt Peony placed on her that summer was still at the very back of her mind, but somehow she thought that she may, with his library's help, have a chance. "I agree, but there are conditions."

"Feel free."

"I don't go to any of those dastardly balls your family always has. I have been sick for the last ten of them and I will continue that trend until I die. I will not sleep in the same room with you or sleep with you in general. Any gift you give me will be expensive and preferably involve jewels, we must be convincing. Your father is to be two floors away from me for a majority of the time spent there. My mother is not staying with us as well. I don't like house elves, they look disgusting and I don't like the idea of them in my room so don't let them go in there. I will do my own cleaning thank you. If you have a guest house, it's mine. I don't eat seafood so don't bother. I expect to be taken out for dinner bi-weekly but not to anywhere anyone would know us. I don't like awkwardly socializing with your family so find a way so that I don't have to." She stopped for a moment, as if to think. "And I want a hot tub in my room."

"You are disgusting."

"You owe me. I have to pretend to enjoy your company for a couple weeks for your benefit just so I can read. I expect nothing but the absolute best."

"Oh at the Malfoy mansion, you shall receive nothing less."

"You are disgusting."

"Perhaps we should head down to breakfast, separately of course. So what's our story?"

"I drank too much and passed out in the halls so you carried me to the hospital wing and went to bed."

"Sounds simple enough." Draco said standing up. He gave a brief wave before heading for the door of the wing. "By the way," he called over his shoulder "I really like your panties."


End file.
